


Come Right

by awraithofwhite



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: 1920s, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Development, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Gang Violence, Gangsters, I Don't Even Know, Period Typical Attitudes, Period-Typical Racism, Period-Typical Sexism, Scottish Character, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-03-29 13:49:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 78,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19021222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awraithofwhite/pseuds/awraithofwhite
Summary: Something in the Highlands whispers of blood. It pulls you in and spits you out battered and bruised. Yet you stand at the edge, waiting for more, because it has the face of angel.





	1. Chapter One

_1922:_

' _let us break bread together_ '.

She was told that was all the telegram read. That godforsaken telegram that put them in the middle of a war between Jews and Italians. It was two heritages of which neither she came from, and one problem she didn't want to be a part of. Then again . . it would be quite difficult to  _avoid_  being a part of it, given where she stood. What was she supposed to expect? Being associated and living with people who wanted to make it their business? It was a matter of time before she would be dragged along. Evie was less of a Shelby than Esme Lee was, being neither a blood relation or married in, and yet she was almost always addressed as if she was one of the two. Her father always told her that word traveled fast in Edinburgh, however over time, Evie came to believe that that was the truth practically everywhere. It wasn't unknown that the eldest of the Cardone children left Scotland after a brutal attack on their family, mere weeks before the approach of the new year, 1918. She was sent away suddenly, with little warning and an even smaller amount of information. All her father told her was that she would be living with an old friend of her mother's for a while. In a town called Small Heath.  _All the way down to Birmingham._ She remembered thinking this constantly for hours, repeating those words in her head. It had been such a short moment of time, and yet she could recall every detail, especially the shouting match she had with her father when her departure was suddenly decided. She lost, of course, but not just because she was the child. No. Anthony needed her to go. He  _needed_  his daughter to be in a safer place, with someone he trusted.

Evie had no choice in the end. She was left with tearstained cheeks as she packed her bags, and a very difficult decision to let go of her little brother the night she departed. She dreaded it . . even loathed it, maybe. But she knew, despite the anger and heartache she felt from being sent away, that Polly Gray would look after her. Her father knew that too, even amongst his fit of paranoia. Granted, Polly was someone she barely knew, and the family she came from was a group Evie knew of even less, but she knew of her mother's history with her. Evie couldn't help but feel comforted by that small truth, which somehow made leaving her home in the middle of the night all the more easy to do.

The Shelby's were a group she had little to no recollection of, aside from the unusually prominent fact that they were of Romani blood.  _Gypsies_. Her grandmother would always hiss out the word, sometimes cast the name down in a short prayer whenever it was mentioned. Evie was never one to judge based on differences, she was well aware that they were a family of not only a very different background but ancestry as well. Unlike his mother, her father was never bothered by it either. But even so, Evie was prepared to hear others voice their opinions when she was seen with them. Others that  _were_  bothered. She doubted her grandmother was the only one with opinions. Bystanders got a kick out of the daughter of one of Scotland's most successful crime bosses coming to live with a family of gypsies who— while did not mind it —were at the time, a weaker gang.

When she finally came to Birmingham, she never heard it as often as she expected, but she would be lying if she said those who  _did_  joke about the situation were never reprimanded. Their insults never came to public ears, and sometimes not one word at all if their words weren't chosen carefully. Much to her surprise. Evie expected none aside from Polly in the Shelby clan to care about her reputation, only that she was looked after as her father wanted. All they knew was her name when she first arrived, yet here they were now, cutting out tongues for her. She expected the good relationships she formed were partially because they knew just what kind of hell her father could raise, even with their past business being positive. The Cardone's were well respected— that much was true —but in the end, they did exactly what the Shelby's did. Only . . cleaner, and in a quieter manner that kept most people from putting two and two together. Her mother always said that the richer you are, the easier it is to keep things quiet. In a way, she was right. Very rarely did she ever hear anyone openly talk about the Watch in Edinburgh. People knew who they were, they respected them. They kept their mouths shut. Yet, there in Small Heath, the Peaky Blinders seemed to be a hot topic. They were openly talked about as if there was no consequence.

"Evie! Can you help me with these boxes?" She could hear Ada as clear as day despite being a floor above her.

The house they now owned was a place neither of them expected to live. Originally Ada had found a flat on her own, quicker than she thought, but on her own nonetheless. Both of them wanted to get out of Birmingham as soon as they could whether or not the rest of the Shelby clan was aware. Ironically, the place Evie's father sent her to for her safety was no longer safe, or at least what she deemed to be no longer safe. She didn't want to step away from the part she played in the Shelby family business, considering it was growing by the minute, but she didn't want to live in the middle of it either. The thought of suffering the same fate as Freddie Thorne scared her, and rightfully so. Not only that, but living and breathing the business day in and day out? Being around it every waking moment? She didn't want that. She enjoyed what she did to help, but not enough to be around it all the time. For her, there was a fine line between business life and personal life. It was a view the Shelby brothers didn't share.

Considering the way they departed, and Ada's reasons for separating from her family, she thought that going to London would remove her involvement completely, but it wasn't long before one of the brothers found them. When Ada came home one evening with a folded note in hand, Evie expected she had caught the attention of one of her co-workers— perhaps made a friend —but it was quite the opposite. There were keys folded in and an address written in the middle.

Tommy's motives always had something to do with business, but nevertheless, she discovered that he managed to buy them a house. After everything that happened, and almost happened, Evie was admittedly glad Ada chose to give him a chance. Go see what exactly he picked for them. It was in a better area of town, had more than enough room now that family members were probably going to visit, and most of all . . safe. Before her brother showed up out of the blue, Ada was beaten, nearly violated until a couple of Blinders found her. It left Evie worried senseless, so much to the point that she considered dragging her back to Birmingham. Although Ada— claiming to be more stubborn than she was —tried convincing her otherwise. She told her the reason behind why what happened to her happened, although it did nothing but make Evie question their motives for leaving. So, when Ada decided that yes, they would take the house Tommy gave them, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

"How many do you have left?"

"Just the ones with Karl's clothes and then two with all our books." Ada paused, looking up as she came into the drawing room. "All of  _your_  books, actually."

Evie began to nod her head in realization, dragging herself over to the small table. This small structure was one of the few proper furniture pieces that sat in the room at the moment. The walls were still stark white, the fireplace was barren (aside from the mirror on top), and two chairs were present for seating— along with another that was cushioned. Ada decided to deem herself the decorator the minute they moved in, although her job was beginning to take up a lot of her time. So, Evie figured she would have to take over sooner or later. She shook her head at the sight of all the books she owned. They were practically falling out, stuffed into two cardboard boxes. "I had a lot of time on my hands when I first came to Birmingham."

"Well, now you do again." Ada began to lift one of the boxes. "So take these up to your room, yeah?"

Evie giggled, moving to take the load from her friend's arms. Before she could, the front door opened with a creak. Both women jerked their gazes over to the door, smiles now replaced with cautious stares. No one else had a key to the house that they knew of. Ada glanced over to her as footsteps came closer, reaching for the gun in her clutch conveniently placed on the table.

When a silhouette came from behind the door, Ada was ready to let a shot ring clear through the room, but stopped herself from even pulling the weapon out once they saw it was Tommy. Evie crossed her arms at the sight. "You have a key."

"Good to see you too." He furrowed his brow, taking mock offense.

Ada let out a dramatic sigh, taking her hand out from the clutch to throw it— and the gun —onto the chair next to her. "Why do you have a key, Tom?" She pressed, placing her hands on her hips.

"I kept a spare."

"Give it."

He complied, handing the piece of metal over with one of those rare smiles reserved only for his sister. However, Ada's cross expression never faded. "Now what are you doing here?"

Tommy bobbed his head in Evie's direction, ignoring the crossed arms and hard stares he was receiving. "Can I speak to your lodger for a moment?"

Evie raised her brow. "Lodger?" Despite poking at a nerve with the nickname, he waved her reaction off.

Ada adhered to his request, trailing out of the room, most likely to check on Karl. Although if Evie knew her at all, she knew she wouldn't travel further than hearing distance. Once she was gone, Evie turned to see Tommy sitting down into the only cushioned chair in the room. "Please, make yourself comfortable." Her tone was sarcastic, but Tommy paid no mind to it as she moved one of the smaller chairs away from the table, recrossing her arms as she sat. "Not to be repetitive of Ada, but why are you here Tommy?"

"Well," He muttered, grabbing one of the books stacked in front of him. "I've gotten the chance to see Ada since the two of you decided to disappear from Birmingham, but I haven't seen you. I wanted to say hello."

Evie snickered. "That was terrible." All he gave her was a look of confusion, so she continued. "Tommy Shelby never goes anywhere just to say hello."

Tommy tore his gaze away from her with a sigh. "Fine. I need to ask a favor of you."

"You have something for me to do finally?" She questioned in mock excitement. Silence. "Tommy I'm not doing your dirty work for you."

"All I'm asking is a favor." He defended. "You wouldn't be getting your 'ands bloody if that's what you're so tense about."

Evie unfolded her arms with a scoff, leaning her forearms on the table. "You do realize your sister was nearly raped because you decided to start a war with Sabini? I don't want to make things worse for her by going back into the one thing she wanted to get away from."

"How'd you know about Sabini?"

"You can yell at Polly later." Evie began to move her books off of the small table to the boxes at her feet, ignoring the frustrated groan she heard. Tommy gave back the book he held, watching her do so until the rest were off the table. "Look, I'm not askin' ya to kill anyone. I'm not askin' ya to go out in some alley at night or make deals with people that may try harming you, an' Ada, an' Karl. I know that's what you wanted to get away from." He paused, letting her take everything in. "I just want you to keep an eye on someone for me."

She huffed through her nose, reclining back into her chair. "Who?"

"My new business partner. Alfie Solomons."

"The Jew in Camden Town?" Evie narrowed her eyes, suddenly remembering her conversation with Polly over the phone. "Polly told me he was the one who sent you that telegram."

Tommy nodded. "He was."

"So instead of trying to fizzle out the fire you started with Sabini, you're doing business with his enemy?" He turned away from her stare, knowing she was already aware of the answer to that. Evie all but rolled her eyes, feeling her curiosity twitch despite knowing she shouldn't ask any further. "Is he bad news?" Tommy only looked back over to her curiously. "Are you're here asking me to do it because you have no other option? Because if so, you can just leave now. 'Keeping an eye on him' as you say, could still do harm."

"Evie, you know as well as I do that I wouldn't ask you to go into something that could leave you and Ada in danger. I just told you that isn't what you would be doing." He stated. "I don't know how he is around women though, if that's somethin' that came to your mind."

Evie hummed. "That's a shocker."

Her sarcasm was evident. "How about this." Tommy began, pulling out a cigarette from the tray in his pocket. "I'll find a hotel room. You come with me tomorrow to Camden Town, meet the man, and we'll discuss the arrangments. If you get a bad feelin', you tell me and I'll take you back 'ere. I'll try to find someone else."

Evie watched as he lit the cigarette, thinking over what he offered long enough for him to smoke half of it. Even with the aparent irony of the situation on Ada's end, she knew she hadn't wanted to put an end to her 'Blinder tasks'. Not really. The fact that she was so close to rejecting Tommy's request felt odd, but it wasn't entirely odd. Her reasons for questioning him and sounding as if she wanted nothing to do with it were purely because she cared for Ada and Karl's safety. Then again, Tommy did too.

Sighing for what was probably the hundredth time since he came through the door, Evie uncrossed her arms, grabbing the set of keys Ada left on the table. "You bought this house. You're stayin' here." Her arm stretched out across the table with the keys resting in her hand.

Tommy stared at the metal for a moment before smirking, taking them gladly. "Ada, show Tommy where he's staying." Her soft tone left him confused, but only for a moment as Ada soon appeared from the other side of the door. The brunette had a scowl on her face, directed over to her brother. "If anythin' happens to her because of you, I'll cut you."

Tommy only chuckled. "I'm serious, Tom." Ada pressed.

"Just go on." He ignored his sister, motioning to the hall. Ada huffed, sending a pointed glare towards her friend before trudging up the stairs. Tommy rubbed his temple, following behind her to see where he'd be sleeping for the night. If he'd get any sleep at all.


	2. Chapter 2

When she woke, she woke to Karl's familiar shouts and quick footsteps just outside her bedroom door. Normally it wouldn't have any effect on her. It was her normal way of waking up. But this morning it brought an amused smile to her face, because they had a guest who wasn't used to the noise. She hadn't heard a peep from Tommy since he ventured up the stairs after dinner, and she probably wouldn't until she and Ada were well past their breakfast. That was how it was in Small Heath and she doubted his routine would change today. The morning had, as expected, proven to be slower than she hoped it would. Evie had woken around eight as she always did, but with the pending trip to Camden Town, the minutes passed like hours.

"What're you smilin' at in the papers, hm?"

Evie peaked up from the bundle she held, spotting her friend on the couch across from her. "It's nothing in the papers, Ada."

She smirked. "Then what's the reason for that little-upturned look?"

Evie sighed, seemingly irritated by her thoughts. "The fact that your brother managed to convince me to meet his little friend in Camden town." She sent a pointed look over to Ada before plopping the newspaper on the small side table next to her chair. "I thought I'd be less involved in their indevours but it seems I'm not quite yet free."

Now it was Ada's turn to sigh. "That doesn't surprise me..." Karl immediately came toddling in as his mother spoke. A big grin was plastered onto his tiny face and he was headed straight for the footstool in front of Evie.

"Hey, little man." She held her hands out to the two-year-old, lifting him up into her lap.

Ada smiled. "So, since Tommy spent the night here, what do these indevours involve exactly?" She asked, regaining Evie's attention.

"Well, as I said, we're going to Camden Town to meet his new business partner. He told me we'd make introductions, explain everything that's happening, and if I don't feel right about the whole thing then I don't have to do it."

"And what does my brother want you to do?"

Evie shrugged. "He just wants me to keep an eye on 'im, watch over the business they're gonna be doin' in the next few weeks. Apparently, he doesn't trust 'im enough to leave things be."

Ada hummed. She stood, moving from her place on the couch to take the paper for herself.

"Tommy claims he's volatile," Evie continued, "but he said, and I quote, 'doesn't know how the man is around women'. So I'm not sure what that'll entail."

Ada arched her brow at the answer she received, resting back into her seat. "I could say the same for about half the people I meet in London."

Evie smirked, moving from her reclined position. It was nearly eleven and yet her feet still shuffled under the nightgown she refused to change out of, much like Ada who was also in her own. Karl had begun to distract himself with the shaw wrapped around Evie's arms, most likely wanting it for himself, so she tugged it off for him to hold. "Would you like to help me get dressed, hm?"

The only response she received was a giggle muffled under the fabric. "I think he'd be perfectly fine right there with your shaw." Ada grinned, noticing how her son found a new toy. "When are you gonna be back?"

Evie nearly rolled her eyes as she stood from her seat. "The one question I wish I could answer."

Ada laughed, agreeing with the statement. "Well tell Tommy to hurry up so you can get it done and  _he_  can get out of my house. I've already lived with 'im for most of my life."

* * *

The overbearing smell of smoke and coal was nearly nonexistent along the streets of Camden Town. The docks were cleaner, the buildings adorned with a deep red rather than gray, making the sight of it look like a safe, quaint city stood on the other side. No wonder the crime boss Tommy was now partnered with hid his business so well. What stood around him was a pretty distraction that turned the public eye away from what went on behind closed doors. Upon arriving, Evie was surprisingly reminded of Edinburgh, only Camden was smaller. Much of what she saw before her resembled Scotland's capital city. The only thing missing perhaps to make her believe she was back home was the St. Giles Cathedral.

'Aerated Bread Company' was what read on the building they entered. According to the Shelby brother's word, to the public, the area was simply a housing for bakers and a _lot_  of bread. However if one was clever enough they could notice the smell of alcohol and realize that maybe the bakery was plentiful for a reason other than the number of workers. Once they entered the building, the first thing she saw were barrels. The man who escorted them in was quick to tell her that his boss had a deep pride for the rum he made, as well as his growing distillery. Evie was never one to be interested in boose for any reason other than consumption and was less interested in the process of how all the different types were made, but she had to admit the size of his business was impressive. Even though the profit looked small, the amount of product he managed to keep hidden was beyond her.

"Now remember what I told you."

"I know, I know. If I get a bad feelin' I'll tell you."

Tommy chuckled, taking another drag of the cigarette he held as they walked along.

"I can't believe you convinced me to do this." She mumbled.

He glanced over to her as they walked. "Well, maybe I know you better than you think."

Evie huffed through her nose. She was aware that what he said was true, but it didn't make her any less annoyed. The part of her that enjoyed doing what they were doing now was larger than she'd like to admit. Even with the expression along her face that could fool every last Shelby, except for Tommy it seemed.

She had already been introduced to Ollie, given he was the one who met them at the door, but the man in charge was somewhere in the depths of the distillery. Tommy's decision to stop by was not only last-minute but unannounced, which was why their arrival left the assistant with a puzzled look. In the few minutes she knew him, she could already tell he didn't hold himself too high. Or at least kept it at bay. Ollie was tall, a few inches more than Tommy, and if he hadn't greeted her in the polite way he did she would've seen him as intimidating. With the way he presented himself, Evie wondered if his boss was anything similar. Given how Tommy described him, probably not, because at the simple mention of his name Ollie straightened. Evie only hoped she wouldn't be dealing with another set of Shelby brothers. One group was more than enough.

"He wasn't in 'is office when you showed up so 'e should be back 'ere." Ollie looked back to the pair of them in slight confusion, wondering where he could've gone. The two entered yet another room stacked with barrels and nothing but, both taking their time while Ollie conversed with another worker. Most likely attempting to figure out where their boss was.

"Ollie who the hell you got sayin' they wanna meet with me— I got work to do."

A cockney accent silenced any mumbling that had been going on before, as well as made the two workers chatting with Ollie disappear. "Sorry Alfie, they just came without warning I—"

"Tommy Shelby." The man, who she now knew as Alfie, interrupted his assistant the minute his eyes landed on them. "What the 'ell are you doin' back 'ere mate— thought our plan started next week."

Evie's eyes narrowed. In some way, she expected Tommy's 'business partner' to look the opposite of what was in front of her. Alfie stood taller than all of them, although he was probably the most casual in appearance. His shirt was tucked in but the collar was left loose, rings decorated his hands, the shoes he wore were scruffed and accustomed to the dirt ground below them. The only thing she could say that was 'professional' about him were the small glasses around his neck that glistened, even in the low light of the bakery. If anything he was the near opposite of the Blinders. Less strict and harsh, more relaxed.

His gaze shifted over to her. "An' who's this you brought with ya— a little Shelby sister?" He guessed, lifting his brow at Tommy in curiosity.

Evie huffed in amusement at his assumption, as did Tommy. "Alfie, this is Evie Cardone."

His brows suddenly knitted into one. "Cardone," he thought aloud, "You don't mean the big gangster that sent 'is kid away, the Scottish one?"

"Exactly the Scottish one."

Alfie took notice of her interruption, bobbing his head in her direction.

Tommy cleared his throat. "I'll only have time to see our business begin before I 'ave to attend to other matters, so Evie will be standin' in for me. She lives just a few minutes away."

"A stand-in, hm. Your other matters that time-consuming?"

"Unfortunately," Tommy confirmed.

"Unfortunately," Alfie repeated, glancing between them. He nodded, rubbing the beard that nearly covered his mouth. "Well," His hands clasped together loudly, "Before we get to official things that I'm assumin'  _is_  the reason you came 'ere for, how about we have the lady here try some bread."

Now Evie was the confused one. "Bread?"

"Yeah," He answered cheerfully, beginning to trail back to where he appeared from. "This is a  _bakery_  after all. We make all sorts."

She looked over to Tommy puzzled, although he only smirked, ushering her to follow.

"Did you know we bake over ten thousand loaves a week? It's unbelievable. We got the white bread, we got the brown bread." Alfie halted, leaving her to expect actual bread sitting next to him until she saw what exactly his gaze was pointed to. A smirk began to form on her face once she came into the next room. On the wooden table in front of them sat rows and rows of glasses, along with maybe a dozen bottles of whiskey. "Which would ya like?"

Evie glanced over to him for a moment, her smirk now a smile. She hummed in thought, soon pointing to one of the smaller bottles. "How about the white."

"White, a'right."

Two glasses were poured in front of them, however, Alfie didn't touch it. His gaze was glued to her from the second she grabbed the glass, to after she sipped at the small amount of liquid. He looked over to her expectantly.  _Waiting for an opinion_ , she gathered. "It's good." She nodded.

Alfie chuckled. "Now I know which one a' ya's got good taste." He pointed behind her, over to Tommy. "That stuff's for the bosses." He added.

Evie raised her brow, turning over to her right to see Tommy with an even bigger smirk across his face.

"Bring it with ya that stuff's not meant to waste," Alfie called back, trailing away once more.

She kept the drink in her hand, although rather than sipping at it she downed the rest. Her eyes rolled at the sight of Tommy swiping the other one. He gulped the liquid in one go, following her further into the 'bakery'.

* * *

"Now I told you mate, when you first came 'ere that I got a bad feeling about you Birmingham people."

Tommy nodded, stepping away from the cabinet he originally leaned on. When they initially came into the office Alfie made a fuss about the one chair, forcing him to stand so Evie could 'rest her feet'. It wasn't something the Blinder was perturbed by at all, but both he and Evie were amused at the near spectacle Alfie made.

"But now you got a Scot with ya." He observed. "An expensive one at that."

Evie scoffed. " _Expensive_?"

"Well, you are." Alfie said matter-of-factly. "Everyone 'round 'ere that does what we do knows about your father." He waved his finger between himself and Tommy. "He's a gangster like the rest yeah,  _but_  there's one large difference between 'im and us. He's got the big money. He's got a business."

Her eyes narrowed. "And what, may I ask, is your point?"

"My point is what's a woman with a father like  _that_  doin' around people like 'im?" He questioned, pointing to Tommy. She furrowed her brow.

"Believe it or not Alfie, my family is on Cardone's good side." Tommy took a step forward, taking the cigarette pack from his desk to light one. "When you an' me were off fightin' in the war, her father 'ad her come to my aunt. After the whole spectacle in Edinburgh."

" _Which_  we will not speak of with business," Evie added.

"Which we will not speak of with business." He repeated, bobbing his head towards Alfie.

None of it needed to be spoken of, not only because she didn't want to relive the events, but because Alfie was already aware. When he pinned her as 'the kid who was sent away by her big-gangster father', Evie knew then just how far the news had spread. The deaths of Elizabeth and Amelia Cardone were a tragedy for Edinburgh, despite the war happening across what seemed like the entire world. A World War, they called it. Yet, even with that, her mother and little sister still made headlines. It still prompted so many to send flowers to the grieving family who lost a mother, a sister, and to her father a wife and daughter. Although she didn't expect it to spread to places like Camden Town, nevermind last. Moving away to another place was something she hoped would make her forget, but it seemed she was wrong. Evie couldn't escape it, even now.

Tommy cleared his throat. "We didn't come to discuss past events anyhow. Future matters are why we're here."

"Right, you mentioned that." Alfie deadpanned. "But my reason for askin' involves the same thing."

"And he gave you an answer." Evie paused, folding her forearms in her lap. "Polly's former friendship with my mother is, granted, a bigger reason for it, but my father has had good business relations with the Shelby's in the past. I already intended to follow in his footsteps, so with what happened then along with the circumstances now, it simply fell into place. Just not how I initially expected."

He hummed. "So you wanted to follow the big man, even before you were sent all the way to Birmingham to live with the likes of these folk?"

She nodded. Alfie simply continued to stare at her, seemingly alright with the information he was given. That is until he began to chuckle. "You are a brave little bird— I gotta hand it to you sweet'eart." He paused, leaning back into his chair. "Now what is it exactly she'd be doin' that you can't mate, hm?"

"I offered you a solution to your war with Sabini, and I offered you men. But I didn't say these men were all respectable, ya know? Soldier-like. I intended to keep an eye on them myself, but since our business is expanding at the rate it is, I can't do that." Tommy informed, taking a drag of the cigarette he was nursing before pointing to her. "She's going to take over for me."

"Right, an' how long will this be lastin', hm?"

"However long it takes the bastards to adjust in."

Alfie scoffed, smiling. "Well then, that could take fuckin' forever."

"I wouldn't be so sure of yourself." Evie shifted in her seat to grab her coat from the back of it. "I'm a soldiers granddaughter, Mr. Solomons. My grandfather was a colonel for Queen Victoria. My mother grew up in what she would call a soldier's household and when my siblings and I came along, we were no exception to his teachings. I may not be a soldier myself, but know a thing or two. I can do it."

The man across from her never responded, rather stared at her as if he was trying to figure something out. And because he was silent, after a moment, she stood. "Well, I think I've seen and heard everything I needed to. Now, is what we've discussed all we needed to talk about?"

Alfie stayed silent for a moment as she slipped back into her coat, the smirk that appeared never leaving his face. Once she had her arms recrossed he bobbed his head, extending his hand out towards the door. Evie shifted in her stance, walking out the door which Tommy had already gone to and held open. Once it was shut she adjusted her coat, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

"So does that mean you agree to do it?"

She stole a glance at him as they walked. "Well, when we first got here I thought you had gone an' lost your mind. But you know me. I'm always up for a challenge."

Tommy chuckled, throwing his cigarette to the ground. "Another one you gotta put in 'is place, hm?"


	3. Chapter 3

The near week since Evie had agreed to the favor asked of her seemed to pass like the wind. Not only did she have to convince Ada that she was doing something harmless for her brother, but their address was no longer a secret. Phone calls from both Polly and Arthur were plentiful, and they almost always mentioned something about the business when it was Evie who would answer them. Now the day had arrived, and she was back in Camden Town.

"He'll wake up... right, he won't have any teeth left but he'll be a wiser man for it." She expected the crime boss to have at least one man on the floor before they left the warehouse. All that he had to hear was one snarky comment, and his manner turned completely upside down. Frankly, she didn't blame him for it. Her father's men were less mannered than the one who chose to open his mouth and yet even they would have known to keep their thoughts to themselves.

"And the last thing he will remember is your funny little joke, won't 'e?" Alfie's uncomfortably close position in front of the man never wavered, that is until his voice boomed throughout the room. He began pacing around, sizing up the front liners. "There're fuckin' rules 'ere, yeah. There  _are_  fuckin' rules, for a fuckin' reason. Quite simply they have to be obeyed, alright?" He paused, eyeing any of the men who didn't have their gaze on the floor.

"Rule number one... the distinction between bread an' rum, yeah, is not discussed! ...Rule number two... anything, right, that your superior officer says to you, ah" He began, pointing his finger in Tommy's direction. "Or any of your other  _fuckin'_  superior officers say to you, yeah, NOT DISCUSSED!"

He paused, allowing his words to sink in. "Rule number three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, I don't care. For the rest of your fucking miserable, measly lives, yeah? Because I, like you, am also a complete fuckin' sodomite... Jewish women, you do not go anywhere near them 'cus Jewish women for you are off the fuckin' menu." After Alfie's statement, he began pacing again, eventually coming to a halt in front of her. "Same deal for the one behind me right, cos she's gonna be comin' 'ere from time to time, keeping you all in check."

Evie raised her brow, questioning what she had just heard.

Alfie bobbed his head, seeming satisfied with his words. "I think that's fair."

Both she and Tommy held perplexed looks for a moment, waiting in silence until he turned back around. "All right that's it, yeah. Forgive me, I interrupted."

Evie huffed loudly through her nose, turning her gaze down to the unconscious man, then towards the one who made the joke only moments ago. "Get him out of here." She ordered impatiently, waving her hand in the direction of the door. With a few whispered commands, Billy Kitchen had the rest shuffling out at his sudden yells, including the few who legitimately worked under Alfie. Once the mass became only four Evie rubbed her temple, and as if on cue, a cigarette was lit. "Those men aren't soldiers by a long shot, Tom."

"Yeah, well, you're gonna make 'em be soldiers, right?" He retorted, taking another long drag of the cigarette in his hand.

Evie smirked, being reminded of what she promised.

"C'mon, I'll drive you back." Tommy waved her over, silently saying it was their time to leave.

She shook her head. "I'll meet you outside."

His brow furrowed at her answer, although the look on her face told him not to question it. He nodded. "Make it quick." He said, soon leaving her be.

Once alone, she turned around to see both Alfie and his right hand never left. "Mr. Solomons."

"Ms. Cardone." He responded in a mockingly cheery tone, never looking up from the papers in his hand.

Her arms crossed as she came over to them. "Quite a little speech you made."

"Actually I thought I was a little overbearin' for a second but... those men you got, they don't know how it works over 'ere."

"It wasn't a compliment." She corrected, now earning his gaze. "I told you I would keep these men in check and that's what I intend to do. I don't need you tellin' them things that make them think I can't."

Alfie stayed silent for a moment, shifting his stance. "Right, I'm afraid I am a little confused by what you're meanin' sweetheart." He began, rubbing his beard out of habit. "See now I'd rather not 'ave men like that tryin' anythin' with a respectable lady such as yourself in  _my_  bakery— and I'm assumin' you'd think the same?"

Evie scoffed. "You may be right, but that doesn't mean I won't cut you if you do that again, or any of them if they try anything."

To her surprise— and annoyance —Alfie chuckled, although it only made her glare harden. He dropped his light expression in realization, clearing his throat. "An' uh, what would Tommy boy out there have to say about that if you did? He's your boss in this little expedition, right?"

"Rather the opposite. He asked me to do him a favor. He doesn't care what I do during as long as I adhere to what was promised."

After receiving nothing but silence, Evie turned in the direction that Tommy went. The planned business for the day had lasted longer than she intended or thought it would be, so Ada was probably wondering where she was.

"So does that mean calling ya little bird is out of the question?" She heard Alfie call out from behind her.

"Goodbye, Mr. Solomons."

* * *

Several days later she found herself reclined on the couch, eating breakfast in the later hours of the morning once again. It had been nearly two weeks since her initial warning against Alfie, and afterward, she hardly spoke to him again. She never made it her mission to avoid him, although he seemed to take her words seriously enough. Thankfully, the men Alfie spoke to were already aware of her role before he made his little speech, so what she dreaded was something she didn't have to deal with while in Camden Town. Now that her initial business was done, she indulged in her leisurely time.

Some of it was spent helping decorate the house, which in all honesty she enjoyed doing. Ada wasn't one for choosing decor, so while she chose wall colors, Evie would pick out furniture as the days went on. Now they sat on plush, vermilion-colored couches. For a while, the room was filled with nothing but the sound of bypassing cars outside as she and Ada read the papers, but it wasn't long before she heard the annoyingly loud opening of the front door. The familiar voice of their new lodger soon followed.

"I'm looking for Ada." The voice that responded was instantly recognized, causing the two women to look up from their reading to each other. Almost immediately after they heard voices, the sound of footsteps came behind. Tommy soon appeared through the door, greeting them both, with James at his heels. "I asked you a question."

"It's alright James," Ada intervened, "This is my brother."

Tommy looked down to his sister. "Who's he?"

Evie lifted her gaze up from the article she was trying to read. "He rents a room." She said as if the answer was obvious, noticing Tommy's questioning stare.

"You need to rent out rooms?"

"Actually, they don't charge rent." James corrected.

Ada smirked. "He's a writer, which means he's skint."

Tommy nodded curtly, uninterested. "You two get up late these days." He observed. Ada hummed. "We go to bed late."

"Where's Karl?" Evie rolled her eyes at his endless small talk. "What do want Tommy?" She asked, squishing the paper against her lap in the process. However, she received no answer. Instead, Tommy threw a quizzical look towards James, then down to her. With his raised eyebrows and the fact that James stood close to her, Evie caught on to his silent question and cringed. "Oh God, before you start making assumptions he's not interested in me,  _or_  Ada." She paused, a smirk soon creeping onto her face as she lifted her paper back up. "Or in girls of any kind."

"Evie!"

She grinned. "What? Tommy won't judge you."

"He sure as hell won't go to the police either," Ada added, now smiling as well.

Evie was already drawn back into the story she was enjoying moments ago, although she could plainly hear Tommy's change of tone and reintroduction, then James's excuse to go get dressed followed by his footsteps.

Once four became three, Tommy moved away, taking a seat across from the two women. "So, have you discovered anything about our friend Mr. Solomons?"

"Probably much less than you're hoping," Evie answered, knowing the question was directed to her.

He sighed. "What did you do?"

" _Nothing,_  I just... put him in his place, that's all."

"Evie—"

" _Tommy_ ," She mocked.

Evie looked up from her reading, catching his unamused expression. "Alright, fine," She gave in, pushing the newspaper back onto her lap to meet his gaze, "I didn't like the little remark he made about me so I... told him not to do it again."

Tommy raised his brow. "Or?"

Evie let her mouth drop slightly. "Or I'd cut 'im." She mumbled, shying away from the stare he was now giving her.

Ada gasped in amusement. "Did you really?"

"You'd be threatening him too if he singled you out and basically told twenty men to 'keep their 'ands off'." Evie defended, dramatically flinging her paper back up to read. "Anyway, Tommy, if his cooperation with us is just a facade, he's playing it well. I've kept a close eye on everything I can— except for his office which is always locked. If he  _is_  hiding anything it would have to be in there."

Tommy hummed in response. "You know, if you told me what you were going to tell 'im, I might've lent you my hat."

Evie looked back over to him with her brow furrowed. She didn't expect to hear what she heard after being somewhat ridiculed, and yet a smirk came across her face. "Did Tommy Shelby just make a joke?" The only response she received was a shrug, making her huff in amusement.

Ada smiled. "Clearly you've been spending too much time around my brothers." She then cleared her throat, drawing her brother's attention over to her. "So, now that you're caught up on that, what else did you come here for, Tom?"

Silence overcame them for longer than Evie expected, dragging her attention away from her story.

"I don't have any children, Ada." She heard him say, making her lift her gaze back to him once again. "So, I've set up a trust fund... the beneficiaries will be John's kids and Karl. In order for Karl to benefit, I need your signature." He paused, taking a folded piece of paper from his coat. "I've set up an account. The money will be transferred... in the event of my death. It'll set them up for a new life."

By then Evie had folded the newspaper she read before, giving up on trying to finish what she was reading. Ada took a moment to read over what Tommy had given her, but Evie continued looking at him quizzically. "Are you sick?" She asked, sounding more concerned than intended. Then again, her concern was valid. Tommy never did things like this.

He shook his head, that same nonchalant expression remaining on his face. "I'm just doing what any ordinary man would," He told her, "putting my affairs in order."


	4. Chapter 4

_"To make it certain that you will obey me on the given day... I needed also the power of life an' death over your family, an' that I now have. Your brother, your cousin... and your sister."_

_At the mention of Ada, his eyes bore into the inspector. "I've known her address in Primrose Hill since the day she moved in... I know Ms. Cardone lives with her, and how she has kept an eye on Mr. Solomons for you... Now, they are safe... but only for as long as I want them to be. I've been ahead of you every step of the way."_

His base in London was suddenly in shambles. Both Arthur and Michael were imprisoned under false charges, Polly was livid beyond measure, and now Ada and Evie were being threatened. This Inspector Campbell was becoming a larger pain in his side with every passing day. Not only that, but now he had control in places Tommy couldn't overpower him in as easily as he wanted to. It was infuriating. Ten of the men they put in Camden town were arrested, their vans were impounded, the warehouses locked, even the Eden Club along with all their others were handed back to Sabini and Solomons. Something had to be done about it, quickly. He knew that more than any of them because Campbell not only threatened his family, but went back on their deal. The bets were off. He wasn't going to play games anymore. But for right now, tonight, he would wait for Grace to come knocking.

* * *

Not even a day after Tommy's visit did they receive a phone call from another Shelby brother.

_"Hello hello." the Brummie accent of the eldest brother ran loud and clear in her ear. A smile appeared on her face once recognizing the voice she heard._ _"Arthur! To what do I owe this pleasure?"_

Arthur had, of course, asked how she, Ada, and Karl were, but soon began to boast about how they almost effortlessly swiped the Eden Club out of Sabini's grasp, then ironically switching to a less thrilled tone after he finished talking about his successes. He admitted to having trouble managing himself while also managing the club he was given ownership over. Evie, feeling unusually ambitious as she was that night, offered to help him run the place as he attempted to regain control of his substance use; something she actually scolded him for. It sounded impractical, yes, but she wasn't one to be overzealous, and she wouldn't offer if she didn't think she could do it. Evie knew what it took to run a social den such as the Eden. It was how her father met her mother, as well as something she grew up around in her early years. Elizabeth Macintyre-Cardone ran one of the classiest clubs in Stirling, Scotland for years, and when Evie was born, she carried her firstborn around like the proudest mother anyone had ever seen. It was only when her younger siblings the twins, Amelia and Charlie, were born that Evie stopped coming along with her mother. Granted, the Eden club wasn't nearly as refined as her mother's, but the same basic principles were there.

Although nearly a week later, as she had the papers she was given by Arthur to sign, they received another phone call. Tommy was struggling to keep his voice from sounding frantic, but nevertheless, he spoke hurriedly. Without reason, he demanded that she, Ada, and Karl come back to Birmingham immediately. However, his sister managed to get the answer out of him after Evie handed the phone over to her. The Eden was no longer in Arthur's possession. He, along with Michael, was in prison, although they were awaiting two different punishments. It seemed London and Birmingham had switched roles, because now she and Ada stayed comfortably in Polly's home until further notice. And Tommy, with their granted permission, was now waiting in their home for a familiar Irish friend.

When she heard the door open it had been well past late. Evie didn't bother moving for about half an hour, until she remembered how long Polly had been out beforehand. With a huff she rose from the comfortable position on her bed, heading down the stairs to the main room. Once opening the door she saw Polly, but she was in a bath rather than her earlier clothes as Evie had expected.

"Where've you been?" She asked, walking over to the couch to curl up. Polly looked over to her with a hazy gaze. "I went to the Spotted Dog in Digbeth," She said, slowly pushing a wet piece of hair away from her face, "for a glass or two of rum."

"Was it one or two?"

"Three." She admitted. "Where's Ada and the baby?"

"They're both asleep. Ada ended up singing herself to sleep after finally getting Karl to drift off," Evie answered, slightly smiling as she noticed Polly's phased out movements. "Looks more like five."

Polly hummed, slowly bringing her arm over the edge of the tub to rest her chin on top. "It was more like six." She let out a short, breathy laugh before reaching for the cigarette placed on a little table next to her. "Have you met the maid?"

Evie nodded. "Yes... Ada began talking politics and practically bored the poor thing to death. So she went to bed as well."

Polly hazily laughed at what she heard, taking another drag of her cigarette. Evie cleared her throat slightly. "I phoned James a while ago... He said he'd take Arthur's case for free..." She paused noticing Polly's continuously growing far off look. "Pol are you sure you're alright? I can get you somethin' if you need it."

"Christ you sound exactly like your mother." She mumbled lightheartedly.

Evie's gaze softened. "I do, do I?"

"Mm... when we were neighbors she'd never hesitate to let me know I could come to her for anything."

"Well, you can with me as well." She assured her with a small smile, staying silent for a moment until she remembered what she was originally going to tell her. "Since James agreed to take Arthur's case for free, we don't need Tommy's help. He can get Michael free for us too, I know it."

"There's no need. They let 'im out in the morning." Polly said, nearly interrupting her. Evie was taken aback by how quickly she responded, suddenly broken out of the haze she was in a second ago before melting right back into it. "If the baby needs anything in the night just ring the bell by your bed and tell 'er to go to Ada. She gets paid to work twenty-four hours, that girl, she's getting lazy... well... takes advantage if you're nice, anyway."

Evie turned her gaze down to the floor. "Pol... when I say you can come to me with anything I mean it. Even if I don't understand some things."

Polly turned her head slowly over to look at her again. She smiled fondly. "Sweet girl... I know." She said quietly.

Evie gave her a half-smile, slowly standing from the couch to head back upstairs. She was tired, and Polly looked that way too. Although Evie knew her well enough to leave her be. There was something more than the six glasses of rum affecting her, or at least she thought, but it wasn't something she wanted to push at. Polly was more reserved than she and Tommy combined, and her outbursts were worse. She never thought that holding things in was wise, even if she did it herself sometimes, but there were moments when that was the best choice. Evie assumed this was one of them.

* * *

_"I don't like this Tommy."_

_She could hear him scoff on the other end of the telephone. "When 'ave you ever liked one of my plans?" He asked. She blinked. "Good point... anyway how do you know you'll even get Alfie to agree to this?"_

_"With my persuasive skills of course." He deadpanned._

_"Right, I'd like to see you do that."_

_"You will, cus you're gonna be there with me."_

It wasn't long before the end of May approached and the Blinders plans were finally put out. Derby day was here, and all of Hell's devils were attending with them. Evie was, thankfully, not going, but her nerves were wrecked regardless of where she would be. This was one of the times she actually agreed with the Shelby brothers protectiveness and complied to stay home. Her part to play involved convincing Alfie to side with them again, and that was it. She and Tommy would part ways for the day once it was done.

"For the next fifteen minutes, you don't do or say anything I haven't told ya, alright? Evie's comin' in after us." Silence. " _Alright_?"

He pushed, regaining James's attention with a chorus of yeses as they approached the doors of Alfie's warehouse. "Hello, Ollie." He greeted rather cheerfully, walking right past him.

At his acknowledgment, Ollie looked up, not wavered by the sight of Tommy but taken aback by the company he brought with him. "Hang on." He called out, stopping Tommy in his tracks. "Just you yeah? He stays out here."

Tommy nodded curtly. "You stay out here." He repeated to James, following Ollie inside.

The walk to Alfie's office was lengthy as per usual, but it wasn't long before he sat across from the man in silence until the phone on his desk rang. "That'll probably be for you, won't it," Alfie stated rather than questioned, never looking up from his papers. With a sigh Tommy stood, taking the telephone from its stand and pressing it to his ear. As expected, Arthur's voice could be heard on the other side. Their conversation was brief, the only words he spoke confirmed that his brother was out of jail, and soon the phone was back in its place.

"Right, so that'll be your side o' the street swept up won't it?" Alfie began, tapping the newspaper in his hand. "Where's mine?... What you got for me?"

"Before we begin that, I'd like to wait till my associate arrives."

"An' 'ow long before this associate gets here, cos I haven't got all day mate."

Tommy gave him a small smile. "Any minute now... Ollie, why don't you go meet them outside?"

The other man stiffened, looking to Alfie for an answer, however his boss simply stroked his beard in thought, eventually waving him off to do as Tommy suggested.

* * *

"Evie I swear if you don't tell me what my brother's dragged James into—"

Ada was pressed, nagging her friend about the 'cause' James mentioned before leaving with Tommy without a moments notice. "Ada calm down! Honestly, he's only making James stand there. Now I have to go, I'll explain everything later, alright?"

She didn't give Ada enough time to respond, because by then she was already out the door. The warehouse was within walking distance, but with Campbell's flaunting of his newly gained authority, Evie was forced to take a car. And when she arrived, James was outside like expected, with Ollie standing just in front of the doors.

"Hello, Ollie." She greeted cheerfully, soon raising her brow. "I assume Tommy told you he was expecting me?"

The man narrowed his eyes, letting his mouth open slightly. "Um, yes... in fact not even three minutes ago."

James peaked up from his gaze on the ground momentarily to smirk at the situation. Evie fleetingly looked over to her lodger, letting a happy, closed smile come across her face. "Good! I'll follow you then."

He blinked, shaking his head slightly in confusion. "Alright." He mumbled, waving her along. The pair walked through the bakery in a leisurely manner, neither hurrying or being sluggish until Evie felt a tug under her shoe. The ones she chose to wear were laced, therefore difficult to keep on. She huffed in annoyance, kneeling close to a barrel to retie it quickly before standing again to continue their walk. Once approaching Alfie's office, Ollie opened the door for her to enter.

"There they are." She announced, catching the attention of both gangsters.

Alfie rubbed his beard, suddenly finding irony in the situation. "Fuckin 'ell." He mumbled. "This one's the associate you were talkin' about?"

Tommy ignored his question, breaking his stare away from the man across the desk once Evie came to stand beside him. "You got it?"

Evie nodded, taking a folded piece of paper from her coat and handing it down to him. Tommy unfolded the contract, soon handing it over to Alfie while explaining the fine print. They had been well aware of how he had struck a deal with Sabini for a while now, and knew getting him back on their side was crucial if the plan for Epsom was going to work. Transferring over twenty percent of the Shelby business was a large part of this, and agreeing to it was what assured them he would come back over to their favor. However, after explaining everything on the contract, Alfie was bold enough to reveal another document, ensuring the entirety of Tommy's business went over to him rather than just twenty percent. Tommy was equally bold at that moment, calling the information he just received 'funny', even though it was clear in his expression that he was angered.

"Yeah," Alfie confirmed, feeling much more serious about the whole thing.

"Why?"

Almost like a reflex, Ollie raised his arm, pointing a gun directly towards Tommy's head. Evie raised her brow, but stared at him blankly, somewhat expecting him to do so after noticing his nervous manner. Alfie was surprisingly taken aback a bit by his right hand's sudden actions. "Ollie no, no no.." He said, bringing the man's armed hand down. "Put that down. He understands, he understands."

Alfie then proceeded to take the gun away, plopping it onto his desk. "He's a big boy, he knows the road. Now look it's just non-fuckin' negotiable. That is all you need to know, so all you 'ave to do is sign the fucking contract. Right there."

"Just sign 'ere?"

"With ya pen."

"I understand."

"Good. Get on with it."

"Well, I 'ave another associate waiting for me at the door." Tommy began, shifting his hands over the papers. "I know he looks like a choir boy but, he is actually an anarchist... from Kentish Town."

Evie hummed. "Lovely boy, but he does like to raise a little disorder now an' again."

"Tommy, I am going to fuckin' shoot you, right?" He deadpanned, looking over to Evie. "Not you though, love. Ya too pretty for that."

Tommy narrowed his eyes. "Now when you came in Evie, you stopped to tie your shoelace. Am I right?"

"How'd you fuckin' know that when she came in 'ere a while after you?"

Evie nodded, ignoring Alfie's question. "I did. Little buggers these lace-up shoes are... Isn't that a fact Ollie? I stopped to tie my shoelace." All she got in response was silence as Ollie opened his mouth in confusion. "And while I was doing it," She continued, "I laid a hand grenade under one of your barrels."

Now it was Tommy's turn to nod. "You see, my friend upstairs is like one of those anarchists that blew up Wall Street, you know? He's a professional, and he's in charge of the wire." He paused, letting his words sink in. "To put it plainly Mr. Solomons, if we don't walk out that door by the stroke of seven, our friend will trigger the grenade... an' your very combustible rum will blow us all to hell... and I don't care, cos I'm already dead."

Alfie began stroking his beard once again, turning his gaze over to Evie. "An' you don't care that you'll be dead?"

She stared at him blankly. "Do you think I'd be here if I did?"

Ollie began to show his panic. "She tied her lace Aflie, and there is a kid at the door."

"From a good family too, Ollie. It's shocking what they become—"

"What were you doin' when this 'appened?" Alfie asked his right hand, but only received the same answer, so he asked again. Ollie hesitated. "Marking the runners in the paper."

Tommy pulled out his pocket watch, checking the time as the gun on the desk was taken back. Alfie handed over the weapon to Ollie, ordering him to go shoot James outside. Evie's stare hardened. "If anyone walks through that door except the two of us, he blows the grenade." She said, only causing Ollie to stress more, confirming again that she did, in fact, tie her lace.

Alfie took the gun away from his grasp once more. "I bet, a hundred to one, that you're fuckin' lyin' love. That's my money."

"Well, see, you've failed to consider the form... I did blow up my own pub. For the insurance." Tommy interjected.

The atmosphere of the room shifted for the worse, pushing Alfie to drop his offer down to sixty-five percent. Tommy rejected it. Now Ollie was panicking, swearing he saw Evie tie her lace and that she must've planted a grenade. "Alfie he's Tommy fucking Shelby—"

Now he had enough. Alfie stood to his feet, slapping Ollie in the face before grabbing at his shirt. "You are behavin' like a fuckin' child. This is a man's world... Now take that apron off an' sit in the corner like a little boy. Fuck off, now."

Evie sighed. "The chalk mark on the barrel said 'Hamilton Christmas'. I took out the pin and put it on the wire." Her hand slipped into her coat once again, pulling out the very pin she was talking about and handing it over to Alfie. He stared at her for a moment, but then took the pin which hanged from her finger, inspecting it.

"Based on this... forty-five percent."

"Thirty."

"Oh fuck off Tommy, that's far too little."

But in the end, he agreed anyway.

* * *

Once stepping out of the bakery doors, Evie patted James's shoulder, bringing him out of his daydream. The lodger followed suit, looking at both of them with a questionable stare as they walked along. "Right," Tommy halted in his tracks, "You go with 'er back to Ada's." He said, pointing over to James. "I don't want either of you taking any chances. Your jobs are done for the day."

Evie smirked. "Tell Arthur we better get our club back after all this's over." She joked.

Tom huffed in amusement. "Go get in your car. I don't pay the man over-time."

She smiled, pushing James along as Tommy went in the opposite direction, wherever John, Arthur, and the boys were waiting for him. The car was parked exactly where she left it, however, the driver seemed to have fallen asleep as his cap was covering his eyes and his head was tilted down. Evie sighed, opening the door to slip into the front passenger seat while James climbed in the back. "We don't pay you to sleep, now wake up love." She said, without looking towards the driver.

Silence. "Hey, c'mon. My friend is expectin—" She was startled by the sight. No, the driver was not asleep, but dead in his seat with a strangle mark along his neck. Before either her or James could register what was going on, the car doors opened from the back. Evie heard a grunt, then suddenly felt a sharp sting against the side of her neck, like she had been stuck with a needle. A rough arm was wrapped around her shoulders, but that was all she could think of clearly before drifting, soon falling unconscious.

* * *

His telephone was suddenly ringing in a rather annoyingly loud manner.  _Who the fuck is callin' me at this hour?_  He thought. With a grunt, Alfie roughly threw down the paper he was reading to reach for the contraption. Before he could even register a greeting, a high, loud voice rang clearly through his ear. "Where the fuck are they?" The woman demanded rather than asked.

Alfie blinked dramatically, not liking the amount of noise that just went into his ear. "I'm sorry I couldn't understand what you were sayin' on account of your rather loud greetin' miss."

"Mr. Solomons, I'm Ada Shelby— my brother is Thomas Shelby. My friend Evie left our house this morning to meet him at your bakery and she hasn't returned since. Our lodger, James, came with my brother as well and he has yet to come back either. Now I know your business with Tommy isn't the friendliest but if you've done something with either of them as payback I swear I—"

"Now now now, 'old on, sweetheart, don't get in a fuss." Alfie interrupted, feeling overwhelmed by the amount of talking going on. "Yes, Ms. Cardone an' that little man did come along with ya brother earlier today. In a rather unexpectedly threatening manner I must say, but the last time I saw any of 'em was when they all left my bakery together in one piece."

He could hear a frustrated huff on the other side of the telephone. "Well, do you have any idea where they might be?"

"I'm afraid I don't." He said in a matter-of-factly manner.

A grumbled came from the other end. "Alright. Sorry to bother you, Mr. Solomons."

Before he could even answer, the line went dead. Alfie stared at the telephone in confusion, wondering why Tommy Shelby's sister would want to call him first.  _She probably had no other option,_  He thought. He began stroking his beard again, a habit he had recently formed, before looking back down at the contract which still rested on his desk. Tommy had mentioned the Epsom Derby at one point, so he knew he would be there today.  _But where would Evie Cardone an' that other little man be?_

He didn't like the bad feeling that started forming in the pit of his stomach, knowing he was probably overthinking the situation. But if they had other business then that Shelby girl would've known, right? She knew about his meeting with them so if there was anything else they had to do, they were bound to have told her.

Alfie sighed in frustration. "I'm gonna fuckin' regret this." He mumbled, standing from his desk. "Ollie!" He bellowed, causing the younger man to open his office door within seconds.

"What is it, Alfie?"

"Grab ya gun. We're goin' on a little day trip." He said, striding over to the door.

Ollie narrowed his eyes. "To do what?"

"To find a Scot."


	5. Chapter 5

Seven, maybe eight people stood between him and the man he was expected to kill. Of course, he wouldn't do so in a moment like this. Right now he was plotting, waiting for others to arrive and play their part. The plan was set perfectly, now all he had to do was carry it out while the others held their end. Although within a moment this opportunity was suddenly sidetracked. Tommy found himself underneath the towering staircase with Grace before he could even take another step up. Instead of going inside, he was trying to convince her to talk later. That is, until she blurted out that she was pregnant.

 _"When the race is over I'll decide what to do_   _w_ _hat to fucking do. Alright?"_

 _"But Tommy I was right not to tell 'im... I could've phoned him and lied but I didn't. Just tell me I was right not to phone and lie_ _agree with that Tommy."_

With his unexpected loss for words, Tommy was unsure how he got her to leave, wait somewhere else, but he did. And now he stood at the bar, across from the one who waved his power around like a banner. "Shouldn't you be busy?"

Tommy blinked, unphased by the comment. "When you plan something well there's no need to rush."

"You know something? I actually trust you to do this." Campbell admitted. "Do you think there might be some measure of respect developing between us?"

The announcer began to speak just as he asked his question, rather loudly telling everyone to take their seats before the race would begin. Once they finished, Campbell continued. "Old foes who have grown to admire each other? And see each other's professional virtues... personally I think not."

"I think not." Tommy agreed.

"Well, I'll drink to that."

The announcer cut into their conversation once more, requesting everyone standing for the national anthem. "So is the plan that you'll stay together forever?" Campbell asked as the music began to play outside. "Or perhaps she'll whore for you and take her husband's money. Is that the plan?" Silence. "How wrong I was about her."

"I was wrong about her as well... you once said to me that men like us can never be loved, but she loves me. She told me. She loves me, and all you got was a bullet and a fucking wolf head cane."

"Well, bully for you." Campbell said sarcastically. "This I know ahead of you is damnation, but I have the love of God and the certainty of salvation."

Tommy ignored his words, downing the last bit of his drink before turning to face him. "I know what you did to Polly... I know what you did to Michael in jail." He said, walking over to him. "Today it will be me dead, or you. But whoever it is... they'll wake up in hell tomorrow."

He received nothing in response but a glare that betrayed Campbell's confident act and previous words, but Tommy nodded nonetheless, leaving the older man alone to find Lizzie.

* * *

The sound of a car engine was the first thing she could make out. Even as she was stirring, not quite conscious, she could tell she was moving. Or rather something she was in was moving. Once her eyes began to flutter open her body's immediate response was to cough. She could still feel the dull ache in her neck, reminding her that she had been stuck with a needle.  _How long ago was that?_   _How long have I been out for?_  The number of questions that came to mind made her head pound, however, there was one that stuck out among the rest.  _James. Where was James?_  Remembering that her lodger had been with her before she passed out made her come back into complete consciousness, slightly jerking up from the laid back position she was in. The action made her head spin, and a chuckle follow behind.

"Don't move too fast, love. You won't be able to see straight."

The voice she heard was foreign, but the accent was recognized immediately. Irish. Once her vision came into focus she could see a man, tall and lanky, smirking down at her from his seat. His cap covered one of his eyes, although the one she could see was dark and distrusting. Evie ignored him, trying to move up in a sitting position, but her breath hitched as she turned her head to the left. James was knocked out with an already forming bruise near his eye and under his lip. Her gaze shifted rapidly, taking notice of the metal walls, the sound of tires rolling along the ground. They were in the back of a van. She knew exactly what kind of situation she was in now, and it began to bring back memories she wished she had been rid of. Her heart began to pound heavily as the images returned. When Evie was eight she had been kidnapped right from under her parent's noses. She had been separated from her mother for only a moment, trying to weave through the adults in her club, but was found by another woman first. Evie, being a child, was naive enough to believe her until a cloth was placed over her mouth. She was put in a car and brought to a house which she could only figure was the woman's home, because when she was brought inside the woman was suddenly with her again. It was one of her most terrifying memories, being held hostage as a child. Now it was happening again. Only, she wasn't sure what the reasons were this time and that made her more uneasy than she already was. She tried suppressing her heavy breathing but her hands betrayed her. She could feel them begin to shake.

"Evie."

She immediately looked back to where James laid, seeing him now conscious and pushing himself up. Evie glanced at the bruises on his face worriedly. "Are you alright?"

He nodded, uncomfortably shifting from his original position. "Managing." He attempted to joke but was hushed by the man across from them. She grimaced, taking in how much they had actually beat him.

The man who spoke to her suddenly kicked someone across from him. Another man, one who she hadn't noticed until he stirred grunted in response, pulled his cap up from his eyes. His expression was angry, directed towards his counterpart, that is until he looked over to her noticing she was no longer unconscious. "Sleeping Beauty wakes." His accent was thicker, but also Irish.

"We're almost there." The other mumbled.

Evie tensed. "Almost where?"

Both men chuckled in a distasteful manner, making her stomach tie in knots. "To your grave sweet'eart." One said, leaning his elbows on his knees. "We'll finally get Campbell to shut his fucking mouth about you Cardones once this is over." He mumbled.

The other kicked his leg again, this time harder, earning a muffled shout of pain. "Do you ever know when to fuckin' hush up?"

"What?" He dragged, "She's gonna be dead here soon anyway."

Her eyes widened in realization. "Campbell?" She mumbled. All the talk she had heard of an 'Inspector Campbell', never seeing him herself but always being warned by one of the brothers, overhearing Polly mention his name when they discovered who Grace really was. It added up for her, being as involved as she was with the Blinders... but  _Cardones_. He was talking about her father and brother too, not just her. "What's my family ever done to 'im?" She asked, or more so demanded in an increasingly nervous tone.

Whether their response would be helpful to her or not, the van came to a screeching halt before they could even think of one. The sudden lack of movement caused both her and James to jump. One of the men smirked, turning his gaze over to her. "More than we'd care to tell to a dyin' girl."

A shaky breath escaped her mouth. Up until then, her mind hadn't comprehended that she was on the way to her death. It wasn't something she wanted nor could believe, but now that reality was catching up with her, she felt herself begin to panic on the inside. Being dead didn't scare her. The part that did died with her little sister. Although the process of dying still set fear into her. How someone experienced death before they went to heaven or hell was something that scared her to no end. What she had told Alfie Solomons that morning was a lie. She didn't want to die by a bomb, not ever. Evie always hoped she would die in her sleep, because then it would feel like God whisked her away into an eternal dream.

Once the doors to the back of the van opened, James tried to move closer to her. He started snapping threats towards the Irishmen in a last attempt until he was silenced by a blow to his side.

She hadn't noticed her hands were tied until they took the ropes off, lifting her up roughly. "James I'm so sorry." By then her voice was completely shaken, terrified, but she had every right to sound that way. Death could make anyone's walls fall down.

Once she was dragged from the van, one of the men slammed the doors shut before James could even reach the edge. She could hear him banging on the metal as hard as he could, trying the one last thing he could do. Evie's heart warmed at action despite being numbed by the fear that was catching up with her. She took in the sight of a cluster of abandoned warehouses before them. Red brick sat stacked in between in the same way the stone was around Alfie's bakery. Being shot dead in a warehouse was the last thing she expected, but it didn't make her struggle any less. She was tiring herself, unable to keep her heartbeat calm enough for her to breathe steadily. Evie honestly thought she would be ready to die whenever it came, but her body was reacting in a completely different way. She almost felt herself shutting down. The memory of being kidnapped as a child was all she could picture clearly. The woman who took her, being separated from her mother, wondering if she'd ever see her family again. It was all coming back to terrorize her in her final moments. She dreaded the fact that her last thoughts would be fearful ones. Thinking of those she cared about was almost a struggle. Her brother, her father, Ada, Polly, Finn, Tommy. Hell, even the older barman at the Garrison that would always make her personal drink and crack a joke or two. She couldn't think of any of them.

"Did you 'ear that?" One of the men suddenly brought her out of her trance, bringing all three of them to a halt.

"What?"

"I thought I heard another car."

The other groaned. "Fuck what you 'eard and let's get this done, now c'mon." Evie closed her eyes as they let go of her arms, preparing herself for the worst despite her minds protests. Although when she heard the sudden shots her legs became limp, and she fell straight to the ground holding her face in her hands. She had screamed, neither expecting the sound to come so fast or the lack of pain that followed.  _Wasn't I just shot?_  She thought.

It was silent for a moment until she heard another pair of footsteps approach.

"Well, that was more of a fuckin' spectacle than I thought it would be."

At the sound of another voice, Evie's head lifted immediately. The men on either side of her were dead; one messy blow to the head for each. But when she turned around, the accent she recognized suddenly made sense. Alfie stood a few feet away from her with his own gun, the usual strange expression on his face, and Ollie at his side.

"I didn't expect ya to scream so loud either—"

"I was almost shot you fucking idiot!" She snapped at him loudly, agitated by his comments. Evie pushed her fists into the dirt, preferring not to scream in front of her unexpected company, leaving her to burry her head into her hands once again. She wanted to let a scream out so badly, but she didn't.

After a moment she felt a hand gently touch the small of her back and another on her shoulder, helping her stand to her feet. Evie didn't have to look over to know it was Ollie. Alfie was standing in front of them without a clue as to what to say, clearly inexperienced with responses like hers.

The crime boss pressed his lips. "Right... well we better get ya outta here before anything else fuckin' crazy 'appens."

Without another word, Alfie turned to walk in the direction they came from, likely headed back to the car they took. Evie let Ollie guide her along, seeing as she struggled to regain enough focus to know where to go. Although once they came to the van she had been in only moments ago, the continuous banging brought her out of it. Alfie halted, pointing his finger towards the back doors.

"I already busted the driver— is there someone in there I should've shot, or is it that little man that was with ya this morning?"

Evie managed a nod. "James— his name is James." She was still shaking terribly.

He huffed, pulling open the doors roughly to reveal her worn out friend. "Anarchist from Kentish town my fuckin' arse." Alfie scoffed, but only prompted James to lung towards him... or try to anyway. Alfie lifted his hands up slightly. "Woah woah mate— c'mon. Me an' Ollie are the good guys 'ere. Got your friend all safe an' sound."

Despite being as tired as he was from his failed attempt to break open the van's back doors, James managed a confused look before glancing over to Evie. She only nodded slightly to tell him it was alright before he began to climb out. As ironic as the situation was, Evie didn't pay attention to the fact that the two who saved her were the same people she was threatening to blow up with a bomb only hours ago. James was bruised, she was almost killed. They both needed to get back home.

* * *

"How could Tommy 've missed that— she left right after 'im."

Hushed voices stirred her from the sleep that overcame her earlier. Despite the amount of stress Evie had been put through, she easily drifted off into a dreamless sleep. How and when it happened seemed to have faded from her memory, but now as she began to wake she could sense she was lying somewhere else. Somewhere much warmer.

"John keep your mouth shut, you're gonna wake 'er."

"Too late." She mumbled, opening her eyes to see Arthur across from her, leaning back in his chair, or rather Polly's chair. Evie instantly recognized the room, realizing she was in Polly's home. The oldest Shelby brother smiled, downing the last bit of the drink he held in his hand. It wasn't until she heard a shift behind her that she noticed John was leaning on the back of the couch, however before she could turn her head he was suddenly sitting in the chair to her left.

"Evie what 'appened? Ada was freakin' out tryin' to get to us saying you never came home—"

"John shut up," Arthur ordered, cutting off his brother's rambling. Evie silently thanked him for it, placing her hand on her temple and she felt her head beginning to spin slightly.

"Is she awake?"

All three of them turned their heads to see Polly walk in and come right around to Evie. She tried pushing herself up from her laid out position but was scolded to stop. "You're not going to be walking around like usual anytime soon. Or leaving this house either, you're staying here with us for a little while."

"Pol I'm not injured I'm fine—"

"I don't care. You're staying here." She argued.

Evie sighed. "At least let me sit up a little." She pleaded.

Polly gave in, helping her do so. However, in the process, she also grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch to drape over her feet.

Evie huffed at the action. "For God's sake Pol—"

The older woman raised her hand. "I won't hear it..." She interrupted. "Besides, with Solomons telling John how he found you, you might as well be injured."

Evie's expression faded at the mention of Alfie. She almost forgot about what happened after being dragged away from the van. The only thing that stuck with her was that she survived, that she managed to avoid being killed. Although Polly's words caused the memories to come back. She was spared from a kidnapping and killing for a second time.

John shifted in slight discomfort. "I'll go get Ada." He volunteered, giving Evie as sympathetic of a look as he could muster before moving away from his seat.

She turned her gaze over to the older brother. "How did he even find you? He couldn't 've taken us all the way here, he doesn't know where any of you live."

Arthur shook his head. "He came to the Epsom. One of his vans pulled up and I 'ad a near episode when I saw 'im so I had to stay away, but his other man told John you and ya friend were in the car passed out."

Evie tensed, remembering Arthur's last encounter with Alfie, a rather brutal one at that. The eldest brother cleared his throat. "We bandaged your neck after they told us you had a nasty bruise."

As if on cue she suddenly felt a dull ache in her neck. Evie brushed her fingers over the bandage she felt, and the soreness underneath. Polly put her hand over Evie's, moving it away to inspect the spot. "Do you remember where it came from?"

Evie nodded. "I remember being stuck with a needle... scared the life out of me for a moment until I passed out."

"But that wouldn't 'ave left a bruise." Polly inspected, looking over the bandage. "You must've reacted badly to whatever the hell they put in ya." Her hand went from Evie's sore neck to stroke the side of her head. As she did so, Evie took notice of the older woman's own state. She wasn't as still as Evie normally knew her for. Maybe her mind was still rattled from earlier. She couldn't tell, but something was sticking out that she couldn't place.

"Pol—"

"Evie!" Another familiar voice interrupted her question. Both women turned their heads to see Ada walk in quickly with Tommy at her heels. Polly moved to stand from her place on the couch so Ada could sit, however she instead came to the other side in front of Evie, bending down to her friends level. Evie was immediately wrapped in a tight hug. "You scared me to near death." Ada fussed, ending her hug to take a seat in the chair right behind her. "James's been awake for a bit. He's in the other room drinkin' to his heart's content."

Arthur chuckled. "I think I'll go join 'im." He said, and with that left.

Now it was Tommy's turn to kneel down to her level. Evie's eyes widened as she took notice of the cut near his eye. "What happened to you?" She joked.

His brow raised. "What happened to me— what 'appened to you? You were supposed to be back at the 'ouse not fuckin' kidnapped." He was scolding himself.

Ada sighed. "Tommy—"

"Don't." He interrupted. "Don't say it wasn't my fault. I hired that driver."

She looked at her brother incredulously. "You couldn't 've possibly known!" She tried reasoning with him but was shot down almost as quickly as she was interrupted.

"Tommy, she's right—" But Evie was shot down as well.

He stood, pacing around the room as his tone went from calm reasoning to rambling nonsense within a minute. "I should've looked over that driver better—"

"Jesus Christ," She groaned. "Tommy I'm serious." Her sudden rise in tone regained his attention. "One of the men that took us said something about Campbell finally shutting up about my family.  _My_  family. Not you. Whatever he wanted me dead for had far more to do with my dad's relationship with the Irish; whatever that may be. The fact that I'm involved with you all was just a convenience."

She felt Polly squeeze her forearm out of comfort as silence crept over them all.

Tommy began to walk around again, silently pacing until he stopped in front of the fireplace. "I'm fucking tired of havin' to deal with 'im." He stated. "Whatever his reasons were, he's never gonna touch you again, right?" He stated. "Or you," He pointed to his sister, "or you— any of you. I'm making damn sure of that this time."

"I don't think he'll even do so much as breath near us Tommy," Polly spoke up. All three of them turned their gazes to her with questioning looks. In response to the wondering stares, she became hesitant. But she continued anyway. "I shot 'im... at the Epsom. He's dead."

Tommy straightened, Ada's eyes widened in surprise, but Evie's stare only softened. She placed a hand over Polly's, her own still gripping onto Evie's forearm.

"He'll never touch any of us again," Polly said. "That's a promise."

* * *

It had been a little over two weeks since Evie found herself in Polly's new home. The time she spent there being put on unofficial house arrest passed incredibly slow, and while she actually enjoyed herself, she was glad it was done with. It was nice to be back in London again. Finally.

"Evie! A letter came for you— do you want me to bring it up?"

"No, leave it on the table Ada— I'll come down."

Evie had decided to spend her day curled up near the fire. The weather was dark and rainy, as it had been for the past five days in London. Both Tommy and Polly insisted she took somewhat of a resting period, meaning she would have no responsibilities to attend to for a while. Although neither of them ever told her exactly how long that would be and she was beginning to feel restless. She hadn't realized how much she missed being involved in everything and now, even with what happened, Evie felt pulled to go back.

As she descended the staircase she felt that same restlessness begin to buzz. Evie very rarely received letters unless it was from her father or her little brother teasing about how ' _father's business is doing so well without you_ '. She hoped for a moment that the letter Ada left for her would be what would put her back into the center of things, but she knew the likeliness that it came from who she expected was slim to none considering everyone's worry was now on her.

Evie immediately walked to the small table near the door where the letter sat, alone. Although once she picked it up she paused. She heard a jingle. Evie furrowed her brow, shaking the letter again. "Ada?" She called. "Did you notice when you received the letter that it... jingles?"

As Ada appeared from the other room Evie shook the letter again, raising her brow at her friend. Upon receiving no response, she began to open the enclosed paper. Once somewhat unfolded, she turned it over, only to find a set of keys fall into her hand. Evie twirled the metal around in her hands. "Keys?" Ada questioned. "To what?"

She flipped the letter back to the front, looking for any hints. "All that's written on the front is my name and our address," Evie mumbled, soon turning over the letter a second time to see what was written inside.  _'Consider this my apology'_  was what read. Ada repeated the words. "There's an address too, look." She pointed below the sentence.

Evie's eyes narrowed. "Isn't this where the Eden club is?"

Ada raised her brow, intrigued. "Maybe we should go check it out?" She suggested.

She was given a sarcastic look. "On the word of an anonymous letter? Quite a smart idea, Ada."

"I meant with one of the boys, silly."

While looking back down to the letter, Evie was left alone. She noticed the bottom was still folded, therefore pulled it open to see if there was anything else written. There was something written... two words that made her realize exactly who the letter came from. "Ada?" She called again. "Maybe we should go... I think I know who this is from."

Evie refolded the letter as she entered the front room, joining Ada in the chairs to watch the rainfall outside. It wasn't until she saw the bottom of the letter that she knew who sent her the keys. Why they were sent, she wasn't sure. He had no reason to do so. However, seeing those last words caught her attention. Those two words.  _'Little bird.'_


	6. Chapter 6

  _1924: 2 years _later__

Even after wearing her hair the way she did for over a year and a half, Evie could never grow used to the bits over her forehead. The feathery bangs she cut for herself tickled her brow almost too often, making her wonder why she did it in the first place, that is until she looked in the mirror. She found she was rather content with how it looked, even when it would feel more aggravating than pleasing. Right now she had her fingers swept under them in order to lean her forehead against her hand. Evie was somewhat stressed by her still new and rather overbearing responsibility as a club owner. Keeping track of stats, supplies, and everything else involving such was always Arthur's forte more than it was hers, which was why she was wondering why she ever said yes to the job.

Then again it wasn't exactly a job offer. When she received a letter with keys tucked inside nearly two years ago, Evie figured it would either be something she would have to accept or something that would be forced into her hands anyway. Even with the short time she knew him then, she knew Alfie was a difficult person to negotiate with once he made up his mind, although he was also aware of the position that was stripped from her the night Arthur went to jail. Evie was wary of his letter, the keys, the vagueness of it all, but she would be lying if she said she didn't feel tempted to take it. She could remember the day she and Ada came to the Eden as clearly as the back of her hand. The club was all but empty, with wallpaper torn down and furniture being stacked up. Rather than seeing Alfie himself, she was met with a paper and pen, and a newly hired manager ready to tell her everything she needed to know.

_"All 'e told me Ms. Cardone is that he wants ownership given to you, put under your name. We had this written out in order to seal the deal so everything will be... 'legally' passed over to you without question. In other words, Sabini won't be able to steal this place back without doing serious damage to himself. All you gotta do is sign here."_

_He tapped his pen on the bottom of the paper, causing her gaze to follow down. "So what, may I ask, made him want to strip Sabini of his precious club so suddenly and offer it over to me?"_

_The man shrugged, shaking his head. "Somethin' about the realization of Sabini's terrible intentions finally coming to light. That someone like you deserved to run such a place way more than he did."_

_Evie stayed silent, looking back down to the papers in front of her until he cleared his throat. "If you don't mind me sayin' Ms. Cardone... I didn't know your mother personally, but I knew her name. One of the classiest ladies in Stirling I 'eard, and an excellent club owner."_

_She smiled, letting out a small laugh. "Well, I'm afraid I am not my mother."_

_"No, but you're 'er daughter... and if you're half what Mr. Solomons told me you were, which, I already think you might be... then I think you'd be the best person for this place."_

_She sat in thought for a moment, soon_ _lifting her gaze back up to the man. "What's your name?"_

_"Joshua, miss."_

_Evie smiled slightly. "Well then, Joshua..." She paused, hesitating to say the rest. "If I am going to own this place, with hard work, I think we shall find much success here together."_

_Now it was his turn to smile. "Excellent decision, Ms. Cardone."_

_"Oh call me Evie, please." She corrected. Joshua nodded. "Well then, I will make sure this place sees much success, Evie."_

A small smile crept across her face at the memory. Joshua had become a good friend over the near sixteen months he spent managing the club. Not once had he given her reason to distrust him. She hoped he never would. There were very few who she could put her trust in outside of the Shelby's and her own family, and nowadays that number only grew smaller. Although Evie wasn't given much time to think about that, even now. Given her pickiness, renovations took months to do, but it had been done for quite some time. A little over eight months now, to be exact. What was once a provocative underground suite quickly became the hottest new social attraction in London. The Eden was now a high-class night club, and no longer called 'the Eden' but named after her sister. 'Amelia's'.

"Evie I think you've had enough of those papers now c'mon."

Her gaze immediately broke away from what was in front of her to land on Joshua. The man stood in front of the doorway in his usual suit with his arms crossed, waiting for her to refuse so he'd have to come over and break her away from her desk. Although Evie knew better, so she stood, smoothing down her dress. Once she was out, Joshua locked the door as to make sure she wouldn't disappear back inside.

It was maybe seven o'clock at the most, but Evie could already hear voices filling up the main room. People would often reserve tables in order to come listen to the chosen music for that week. Despite having it last the entirety of the night, many would come in early only to stay for hours at a time, drinking and dancing or simply being dozed away by the sounds that filled their ears. She couldn't think of a specific reason as to why, but she absolutely adored it. The music, the conversations, the number of different people she would meet, it delighted her. Often times during long nights Evie was reminded of her mother, finding the smallest things would remind her of what she did, and for a moment she would feel like she belonged there.

Once they came out from the long hall, a grin appeared across her face. "Is that who I think it is?"

A fit of laughter escaped both of them as Arthur engulfed her into one of his 'famous' hugs. Despite being squished she managed to say hello, prompting him to let her go to look back out into the room.

"What are you doing here Arthur?"

"I thought I'd come up to see what our two girls are doin'." He paused, leaning a little towards her. "Ada's turned into a fuckin' politician." He mumbled. Evie couldn't help the knowing look that came back to her face.

"She has... dabbled, yes."

"But look at you— When John told me you had the Eden I was expectin' a little Evie class but I never would've expected somethin' like this." He rambled, motioning to the crowds piling inside, filling the small tables and open spaces near the elongated bar. "I didn't think you had it in ya to snag such a place."

"I had to get our club back." She said, poking at his arm. "I wish Linda would've let you help run the place. You're much better at it than I am."

Arthur smirked. "Well, you know 'er. Can't even smoke in the house- nevermind being in London in the late hours of the night." He grumbled, scratching the side of his head. "But you seem to be doing perfectly fine on ya own." He added in a much lighter tone.

"She has a knack for it. Just like I thought she would." Joshua chimed in from behind their separate, smaller bar.

She scoffed. "Please, you're the one who's keeping this place from falling to pieces."

Arthur chuckled before a small voice called their names, taking them away from the beginning debate. Ada waved at them as she walked up the stairs, heading directly to where she usually sat. Tommy and John followed suit, sliding off their caps in unison. Unlike Arthur, the other Shelby siblings had visited 'Amelia's' before. Although that didn't keep the proud smile from appearing on Ada's face, as if she had just been invited to the grand opening. The lone sister came over to wrap her in one of her usual tight hugs. "Thank God you decided to add this space when you did— otherwise the place would be a one-level madhouse."

Her brothers all stared at her amusedly. "I think she means if she didn't get her personal space,  _she_  would've turned this place into a madhouse," John said with a smirk, earning chuckles from the rest of them.

Ada pushed her brother in annoyance, making him fall back into the seat he was leaning on.

Evie smiled. "Well, I'm glad you feel that way, Ada."

She thanked Joshua for the drink he handed to her as she moved to the railing. In truth, she was very much in agreement with what Ada said. After realizing she would be spending quite a bit of time here, Evie had a closed-off area built in front of the offices. It wasn't quite a second floor but was raised up enough to where one could get an overview of what was in front of them. The stairs built into the side was the only way up and the only way down, and when special guests would come, she would have drinks prepared for them from the bar behind her. The wooden structure stood against the wall, storing the alcohol she preferred to keep away from her usual business.

Her brow furrowed, suddenly realizing there was one missing from their group. "Is there a reason Grace couldn't come, Tommy?" She asked, turning her head back towards the circle of chairs. "She phoned me a few days ago saying she wanted to come see the place."

"Right." The husband-to-be realized, dragging out a long sigh, briefly rubbing his forehead. "She discovered even more wedding-related details yesterday."

Evie's eyes narrowed. "You were supposed to tell me that before now weren't you?"

"Uh-huh."

"But you forgot."

"Yup."

She hummed expectantly at his response, taking a sip of her drink before moving to an empty seat. Evie hadn't been given the chance to sit and relax much in the past year. With her new popularity among the London crowds came an overflow of business, as well as badly timed socializing. And by badly timed... she meant it was very much unwanted. There had been more than enough people who would come to her club solely to chat about either her father or the Blinders, doing anything they could to get the slightest bit of information. A lot of the time she could see straight through said people, although they didn't try very hard to hide it. Most she had thrown out weren't great conversationalists, therefore their intentions were obvious.

The sudden sound that brought her out of the relaxed state had been very similar to those many instances. Evie turned her gaze over to the stairs, seeing one of her security men talking intensely with a smaller fellow. However, he managed to get away with his last few words, coming up to Tommy and Arthur in a matter of seconds.

"Do any a' you know where the boss is around 'ere cos I can't find 'im anywhere."

Evie raised her brow at the word 'him', while John could barely keep a smirk from stretching across his face.

"In fact we do. You're standing right in front of 'er." Tommy answered, pointing his gaze towards Evie. She, in return, waved her fingers towards the man as his eyes widened in realization. "Oh sorry miss I.." His sentence trailed off as he removed his cap.

Evie didn't bother replying to his apology, rather raised her brow curiously. "Something I can do for you sweetheart?"

"I'm 'ere to deliver a message... somethin' about the wanderer comin' to London?"

Despite the confusion around her Evie was able to understand exactly what he meant. Her eyes narrowed slightly, not having heard that phrase in a while. "Was that all?" She only received was a nod in response. Evie nearly groaned, knowing exactly what the man's statement meant. She hadn't heard those words in many months, which was why. She immediately stood, leaving her company in a state of confusion. Tommy looked over to her quizzically as the man left. "What was that all about?"

"Nothin'," She brushed off as she set her glass on the small table in front of her. "I'll be back in a minute." She assured them in a suddenly cheerier tone. Ada opened her mouth to question her as well, but she was gone before she could even say a word.

Evie trailed quickly back through the long hall leading to her office. Although when she approached her door she walked right past it, heading for what stood further down. During their reconstruction, she had an escape door built in the back of the building through an area only she and Joshua knew of, as well as one other person. Once she came closer to this door her steps slowed, and soon came to a stop at an open entry just in front of it. Evie leaned on the side with her arms crossed, settling her gaze on the back of the person she expected to see in the inadequately lit area. "What the hell are you doing here Alfie?"

She could hear him curse under his breath at the sudden sound of someone behind him. The crime boss nearly caused his hat to fall off his head given how fast he spun around, which seemed to be something he thought of as his hand was holding on to it. Evie was not phased, still staring over at him with an annoyed look.

Alfie raised a finger up at her as his mouth dropped open. "Stop doin' that."

"I'm sorry did I startle you?" She responded sarcastically. Evie only received a perturbed grunt in return as he rubbed at his growing beard. "Why are you here, Alfie?" She pressed.

He shrugged, suddenly displaying the look of a child who was being questioned by their parent. "Ya know... I wanted to see 'ow the place was doin'— I've 'eard nothin' but good things about it for a while."

"You barely show up in the near two years it's been since i snagged this place and that's your excuse?" Evie argued. "Besides, you can't 'see how the place is doing' by hanging around in the back where everything is tucked away from your sight."

"Well, I—" Alfie kept himself from continuing with another excuse once he noticed her raised eyebrows. He huffed in annoyance for a second time. "Classy social hubs aren't my cup of rum— you know that." He argued, suddenly going back to the defensive.

"I'm pretty sure it's 'cup of tea'."

"Stop it." He warned after hearing her correction, but all she did was smirk. Although that smirk was short-lived, as she began to put the pieces together in her head after thinking over his confession.

"So that's your excuse for why you practically forced it into my hands?"

Alfie gave a curt nod of agreement. "Yes." He said a matter of factly.

"So you strip Sabini of the Eden, send me a letter with keys inside— then show your face twice, maybe three times over the past year in this same manner?" Evie paused, brow raised, absentmindedly rubbing the palm of her writing hand. "Then claim to dislike socializing so I won't ask more questions..."

The crime boss stayed silent, rubbing the back of his neck without any explanation to what she was pointing out. She was asking him a question without actually asking, and he knew it.

"And you still haven't told me why you're here now." She added.

Alfie suddenly straightened in realization, taking a folded document from inside his coat. "I 'ave a proposition for you." He began, handing the paper towards her. Evie took it from his outstretched arm as he continued, "The popularity of this place 'as caught the attention of more people than ya think. People I see around my side of the street more so than 'ere."

"And?"

" _And_ , I took it upon myself to do some diggin'." He replied, placing his hand on his chest as if he had done some glorious deed. "The men who's attention you caught are ambitious lil bastards, and there's no doubt one a' them are gonna try an' take this place for themselves one day... I'm willin' to offer a lil extra security." Alfie took a step closer, tapping at the document which was now opened in her hands. "Just thought I'd make it official."

Evie turned her gaze down towards the paper, seeing that exactly what he had just claimed was written down, but her eyes narrowed. "In exchange for?" She questioned, directing her stare back up to him.

"In exchange for my services, all I ask is that my whiskey is sold in your fine establishment." He said. "An' that it be at the front. Ya know... one of the first people see."

Evie scoffed in amusement, looking down to the document as she folded it back up. "Before you offer up a deal like that I think you should know that alcohol isn't our main moneymaker here, Alfie."

The crime boss nodded. "Yeah, I know." He deadpanned. "Wouldn't 'ave offered it up to ya if I didn't."

Evie stared at him quizzically as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Why?" She asked.

Alfie bobbed his head. "Cos despite my absence in... however fuckin' long it's been, you're one of the few I've enjoyed doing business with." His reply only made her furrow her brow again. Evie could remember nothing similar to pleasant business relations between them, which made it all the more confusing. "Besides," He continued, "I 'ave a feelin' you're one of the few people 'round 'ere that would actually hold up to 'er end of the deal."

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she mulled over his offer, the paper being fiddled with in her hands. Evie couldn't help but think back to what happened to Arthur and Michael because of him. Alfie was easily swayed from one side to the other back then, which didn't help with the current decision that was looming over her head. Although he did go back and swipe one of Sabini's treasures right from under his nose, and he never did anything else against her or the Blinders since. She was mentally arguing with herself over and over, neither reason outweighing the other. It didn't matter how much she did it. The one thing that kept her from choosing was the thought that lingered in the back of her head.  _Could she trust him after everything he's done?_ It kept her silent for a little longer than she intended. Evie didn't want to render Alfie annoyed and impatient, and she had to get back to her original responsibilities for the night.

Her gaze lingered on the stacked crates in front of her. "I'll have to think on it for a little while." She decided. "Is that alright?"

All he did was nod. "Take as much time as ya need... but not too much, right?"

"Right." She repeated, shifting her stance for the first time since she was given his offer on paper. Evie turned away to leave, the two of them exchanging a silent goodbye, but slowed her walk for a moment to look over her shoulder. "It was good to see you, Alfie."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quotes in Italic are intended to be spoken in Russian.

"When did you start smoking?"

Even with the volume of the music playing below and numerous chatty conversations throughout the room, she could hear Tommy's voice as clear as day behind her. Her lips closed around the cigarette as if on cue to his question. "Two months ago." She exhaled deeply, letting a long puff of smoke escape her mouth.

It had been almost an hour since Arthur had said his goodbyes. Now that he was married he had other things to attend to, things she preferred to avoid hearing after she met Linda a mere four months before. Ada left moments ago to retreat back to their flat now that it was drawing well into the night. Karl could only be left alone with James for so long, and Evie knew this very well. There were many times when she would come home to a distressed, tired writer ready to convey the turmoil he just went through earlier that evening. Or at least what he considered to be, and she found his woes rather entertaining. It had almost become a habit for him during the times Ada would be gone, even if it was just for an hour or two. After a while, Evie would almost instinctively go to the whiskey bottle once she hung her coat, then walk over to his little desk with a drink in hand for both of them. She got a laugh out of James's stories and would always relay them back to Ada later in the night, who in return would throw teasing remarks at him; something he didn't entirely appreciate. Right now Evie wondered if she would come home to yet another tale to add to her pile, bringing the cigarette in between her fingers up to her mouth once more. However, before she could reach her lips her hand was suddenly empty. She looked to her left to see Tommy had swiped it from her. "Hey!" She whined, but all he did was begin to smoke himself.

"You're rude." She snapped childishly, leaning her forearm back on the railing.

"And you're out of character." Tommy pointed with her cigarette in hand. In truth, he wasn't bothered by the actual smoking. Obviously, because he did it himself- sometimes a little too often -but the fact that it was Evie who was doing so now didn't settle well. Tommy had stopped by her club twice, maybe three times in the last two months but not for a second did he see her with a cigarette in hand during any of those visits.

She scoffed. "Because I smoke now I'm suddenly 'out of character'?"

Tommy shook his head in disagreement. "No," He dragged, "Because two months ago I knew you to reject the very idea of it."

She hummed, keeping her gaze on the crowds. "Well, opinions can change."

A dry chuckled escaped his mouth, as well as a puff of smoke. "No, not you. Not like that, anyway." He paused, looking over to her. "What's wrong?"

"Why are you suddenly playing the caring card?" She asked, glancing over to him for a mere second, or rather the rail where his hands rested.

Tommy glared at her. "Don't change the subject." He argued, pointing at her once more.

She smirked. "You're starting to sound like Polly." But his glare never faltered, even when she tore her gaze away from the masses to glance at him again. Evie huffed through her nose at his determined silence. "It's not something I can talk to you about." She admitted. "I need to figure it out on my own."

"Evie-"

"Tommy." She mimicked, raising her brow in the same manner he did. Although perturbed by her response, Tommy ignored it. "If you're dealing with trouble or thinking that you will, you know you're supposed to tell me; any of us." He reminded, motioning to John who was now intrigued by the conversation. "If it's serious, you don't keep it from us; even if it turns out to be nothing. You know better."

"That's exactly why I'm not. Because it isn't." She defended, stepping away from the golden rails to sit on the arm of her chair. Evie dragged out a sigh. "I know what almost happened scared you all, believe me." She began, rubbing her palm out of habit. "But that was two years ago. I have more people looking out for me now, people I trust. The men here that worked for my father weren't sent by him, they came voluntarily, but they know protection comes with the job. And yes, they can't keep me safe all the time, but it at least reduces the chances."

"She's right, Tom." John spoke up. "Evie and Ada aren't in Birmingham anymore. We can't look out for them twenty-four-seven like we used to. We gotta trust 'em."

Tommy shrugged, looking at his little brother in a slightly challenging manner. "Trust has nothing to do with it, John. They weren't in Birmingham when she was kidnapped either. Campbell was the reason she was almost killed. He knew where they were. We weren't together, and look what happened."

"Campbell's dead, Tommy."

"Yeah, but there are more like him." He argued. "There's always gonna be more people out there waiting to take a stab at us. And the fact that you an' Ada are separated only makes that easier for them. This is why Polly reacted the way she did after we found out you two moved to London."

Evie sighed, rubbing her aching forehead underneath her bangs. Tommy proved to be harder to convince than she was, which said something. "Well, if any of these people show up at our door it's gonna take them a damn long time to get to us." She stated, watching him rest into the plush seat across from her.

"That's a dangerous thing to assume of yourself, Evie."

"I'm not assuming- I'm reminding you that Ada and I wouldn't go down without givin' 'em a little hell. She would tell you the same thing and you know it." She pointed at him, pausing to pushed at John's arm as he came to stand next to her. "Just lend us your caps and we'll be fine."

The younger brother chuckled, pushing her shoulder lightly. "Honestly Tom, you're over-worryin'."

Now in a lighter mood, Evie looked back over to Tommy. Her cigarette still hung from his hand and an unswayed look was still plastered onto his face. He rubbed his eyes in frustration. "I don't want anything kept hidden, alright? Now can't be a time for secrets. That only makes circumstances more dangerous." He paused, leaning up to rest his forearms on his knees. "You call me, you call Polly- hell even Michael, I don't care. Just tell us."

Her expression softened. Evie began to open her mouth to assure him but suddenly closed it just as quickly, reminding herself of how she attained the Eden. She agreed, now wasn't a time for keeping secrets, but that secret happened nearly two years ago. Ada was the one who advised her to keep it from them in the first place, but now she was questioning everything, which made Evie do the same. She was aware that the origins of how the Eden came into her possession would come to their knowledge sooner or later, but how was she supposed to tell them? Even if Alfie's involvement with the Blinders was no longer threatening- or existent anymore -she knew they would disapprove on some level. Especially after lying about it for as long as she had already. As far as the rest of Shelby's knew, Evie got the Eden in her grasp with the help of her father's men only. Considering how many of them now worked under her, it was easy to believe.

After a moment her pressed stare began to turn upward into a smile, the suggestion that came to her suddenly pushing the thoughts away. "Would it help if the two of you dropped me off at the house later?"

The immediate smirk that replaced his scowl couldn't be helped. Tommy looked down to stub out the forgotten cigarette in his hand. "I suppose."

* * *

Unlike many nights before, thunder clouds plagued the skies and rain pounded onto the ground, leaving it a slippery mess no matter where you walked. Dark, gloomy, menacing, uninviting, those were all words that could describe that night. The artificial lights of many houses and shops seemed to be chased away by the rumbling and pounding of the storm, although the lights that sat around the 'Aerated Bread Company' still gleamed. Camden Town wasn't fully asleep.

Earlier that evening Alfie received a letter, other rather his own document, signed and sealed by none other than Evie Cardone and delivered by someone else instead of herself. Four almost agonizingly long days had passed since he proposed his offer to her in the back of her club. But oh was it worth it. Her nearly unreadable signature sat at the bottom of his little contract, and while it wasn't exactly needed, her agreement on paper brought a smile to his face. She could've called him, audibly agreeing to his offer and keep or tear up the document, but she didn't. Evie was a proper businesswoman. In all honesty, Alfie would've assumed she had just finished school with how young she looked, which was why his initial reaction to her showing up to his bakery with a Blinder was confusion. He knew her name but the ages of the Cardone children was something he never bothered to look for. Although it turned out that she was only four years below Tommy Shelby.

A quick knock along with the opening of his office door brought him from his thoughts. "Alfie? All the boys are done for the night. You headin' home or you stayin'?."

"You know me mate." He paused, smirking as he tossed the document on his desk. "I live 'ere more than my own place."

"What's got you in a good mood?"

"Well, my dear Samuel, I just successfully made a deal which will get my whiskey into the public grasp. We're now providin' extra muscle for 'Amelia's'."

Samuel narrowed his eyes. "'Amelia's'... Isn't that the place that Blinder girl is runnin' now?"

Alfie scoffed. "Blinder girl," He mumbled. "Personally I think they got their gypsy 'ands wrapped a little too tight around 'er. But yes, Ms. Cardone is now in a certain partnership with us. I want men sent up to London first thing, can you make sure o' that for me?"

Samuel nodded. "Sure thing, boss."

"Good man. Now get the fuck outta here." Despite his word choice, Alfie spoke in a lighthearted tone. The younger man smirked, closing his boss's office door behind him. Once his coat was on and cap securely on his head, a cigarette tray soon slipped from his pocket. Samuel managed to smoke half of one before he reached the worker's exit. Although instead of walking into the heavy rain, he paused at the opening, leaning against the side while exhaling a long puff of smoke.

" _Any word?"_  He heard a deep voice before seeing the man it belonged too. Samuel nodded. " _Yes_." He replied. " _Alfie's made his deal with Evie Cardone._ "

" _So we now have a way to get on the inside. Perfect._ "

Samuel huffed. " _Hopefully. I'm not sure how connected she is to the Blinders_."

" _More so than you_  think." His company informed. " _Tommy Shelby is known to dig around for information on those he does business with. We chose to do the same. Getting close to Evie Cardone is as good as getting close to one of his brothers. She's not like that fiance he's snatched up and left in the dark. She's been rumored to get her hands dirty like the men and that unusually violent Aunt of his. They trust her._ "

_"I understand, sir. But when I say 'connected' I mean the amount of information we can get. The Blinders don't visit her club very often as far as I've seen, and I have kept a close watch."_

_"Well,"_ His superior began, " _If we gather no useful information we always have the option to take her hostage. Use her as a motive to get them to do what we wish if necessary._ "

Samuel nodded. " _So... this is going to work?_ " Samuel asked.

The man nodded.  _"You will make sure it does._ " He warned. " _For now... we wait on Anton. Once the wedding is over, once your men are in place, we make our move._ "

* * *

The thunderstorm that came to London that night had no intention of being quiet. Rain pounded onto the rooves like a chorus of drums, although in her dreams it sounded like fists. Evie awoke in a sweat, having startled herself out of a nightmare only seconds before she heard Karl begin to cry for his mother. No one in the house could sleep, not even James who was notorious for his heavy snores and refusal to come into consciousness.

Given this annoyance, Ada decided to brew them a pot of tea and cozy up by the fire until the weather ceased. Evie had wrapped herself up in one of the blankets, wanting to stay like that for the rest of the night, but once Ada came over with the warm liquid she grabbed for it eagerly. Once she held a cup of her own Ada sat down on the other side of the plush couch, letting the heat warm her hands. It was soothing, although that was all that was soothing about the moment. Evie could practically feel her friend bob her foot up and down on the cushion. "What the hell has got you so jittery tonight? Is it the storm?"

"Are you ever gonna tell them how you actually got the club?" Ada asked suddenly.

Despite being taken aback by her sudden question, Evie let out a long sigh. "You know the answer to that."

The loud crackle of the fireplace in front of them blocked out Ada's groan, but it didn't keep Evie from seeing her expression. "I don't like this, Evie. It doesn't feel right, keeping things like this from my family."

"Even if I wanted to, Ada, I don't know how I would. It's been nearly a year and a half since that happened. And besides, you were the one who told me to keep my mouth shut."

Ada paused, pressing her lips into a thin line as she thought. "I know." She said frustratedly. "I think seeing everyone again is just making me more aware of all that." Her hand immediately went to rub her temple at the thought. "God, Tommy's getting married tomorrow."

A laugh escaped Evie's lips. "Never thought I'd see that day."

Silence overcame them for a while, rendering her tranced by the sound of the rain, even if it was loud. Karl had begun to fall back to sleep in his room. Now Evie found herself drifting off again, her eyes slowly closing and head lying back into the couch. "You know..." She faintly heard Ada begin. Evie only relaxed further into the cushion, keeping her eyes shut. "for a moment I thought it would be you that would end up with one of my brothers.."

Her eyes flew open immediately. "What?" She questioned, lifting her head back up to stare quizzically at her friend.

Ada tensed, realizing Evie wasn't actually asleep like she thought. "Or something less strange?" She tried averting but failed, ending up questioning her excuse.

"Ada!"

The brunette hesitated, playing with her hair rather than looking her friend in the eye. If her nervous laugh wasn't enough giveaway, regret could be seen as plain as the nose on her face.

"Ada Shelby, whatever caused you to think such a thing?" Evie pressed.

Ada looked over at her innocently. "What? I said thought, not think. Besides, that was when the boys came back from war." Despite her explanation, Evie still had a look of disbelief across her face. A look that now made Ada feel awkward. "I had a tendency to over-romanticize everything back then."

Evie scoffed, remembering exactly how her friend was during that time. "I'll say."

"Well, I know that couldn't happen now," Ada added, making her smile in amusement. "Honestly, I was just thinking out loud. I thought you were asleep." She laughed, pausing for a moment as Evie sipped at her now lukewarm tea. "I do wonder what would've happened though."

Evie sighed in slight annoyance. "My God." She groaned, setting down the cup she held to stand to her feet.

"Where are you going?" Ada asked as she trailed back to the stairs.

"I'm going back to bed. Before you start thinking out loud again." She called out, already halfway up.

"Love you..." She could hear Ada say. Evie smiled, halting her climb up.

"Love you too." She called back, resuming her walk back to her bedroom.


	8. Chapter 8

_January 23, 1918_

. . .

"Your father was a mad man to send you all the way to Birmingham in a time like this."

Evie gratefully accepted the blanket that was offered, wrapping it around her bare feet. "He's done crazier things before, trust me."

"I don't doubt it. Given what your mother would tell me about him before they married." Polly huffed in amusement, setting the tea kettle back onto the tray before grabbing two cups. "But nonetheless, he'd be even crazier if he  _didn't_  send you here. I've heard Scotland received worse than we have."

"From what he's told me, yeah." She mumbled, preferring that the thought of home didn't flood back into her mind. "Those areas were never near us."

Polly hummed in response. "Well, I'm glad you arrived when you did. When you want to avoid whispers it's better you take the train at night." She said, handing Ada the second cup of tea before she made her way to the whiskey bottle.

"Thanks for meeting us at the station Polly. I had a feeling if Donny tried finding Small Heath on 'is own we would've gotten lost. He may 've been all over Scotland but England is like walking through a maze for 'im."

Polly chuckled. "I 'ad a feeling that would've happened too."

Evie looked down to her cup, feeling her smile fade and the thoughts she had once suppressed creep back at the mention of home. Polly took a seat next to her on the couch, absentmindedly swirling the lukewarm liquid around in the glass she held. Despite already knowing the situation, the older woman tried her best not to pry, but Polly could spy a far off look a mile away.

"We'll make sure you're comfortable here, yeah?" Ada spoke up, noticing how Evie's eyes started to become glossy. "It'll be like a home away from home."

Evie smiled in thanks, wiping her eyes before tears could fall down her cheeks.

Not one of them were expecting to be in the situation they were now experiencing. Especially Evie. Her mother and her little sister were shot dead at a Christmas Eve party, almost a month ago, in the upper-class housings of Edinburgh. It was meant to be a gathering of friends that could bring a little joy during such a time of hardship, as said by her mother's friend, the one who suggested it, although in the end all it did was cause heartbreak. She had intended to meet them later that night, not paying mind to how brief her goodbyes to them were before they left the house. Now Evie was mentally berating herself for it. She should have given her mother a hug. She should have kissed Amelia's forehead like she always did before she would go somewhere. Not doing those things left an empty space inside of her, taunting her, making her grief all the more difficult to manage.

Her father only made it harder, putting together a joint funeral days after their deaths, then pouring himself into his work when it didn't take up his time. Once the funeral was over, the business consumed him. His  _illegal_  business anyway. Whoever it was that shot two members of his family would have immense hell to pay, and once they were found, Evie assumed their body would most likely be burnt after. It was something her father would normally do afterward, although he wouldn't tell her if that was true or not. There was maybe one night when she was able to grieve with him, truly see him cry. Every other night she was comforting her little brother, Charlie. Anthony Cardone blamed himself and only himself for the loss of his wife and youngest daughter. Some called him a coward for staying home while so many men fought in the war, even with the knowledge of how large his business was. There were few he could entrust with such a responsibility, and those he could had already shipped off. Anthony had no choice but to stay. Although when they received that dreaded phone call on Christmas Eve, he began to question himself, wondering if his absence from duty was a possible reason for the deaths of two of his family members. He began to think he angered God so much that losing his wife and youngest daughter was the punishment for his sin. What he labeled as his cowardice pushed him to engulf himself in his work. How he ran his business— both legal and illegal —how everything was carried out, it all became one big obsession after he realized that the reputation he developed with the work he did behind closed doors was what cost them their lives.

Evie and Charlie's well being also became an obsession for him. The two children Anthony had left was all that kept him from spiraling into guilt-fueled madness, and for a moment, Evie thought that meant he would push to spend more time with them, but it was the exact opposite. At least for her. She knew he no longer trusted most if any of his partners anymore, and business relations were out of the question, but to suddenly decide she be sent away from home, alone, and keep her brother with him? She couldn't make sense of it. If anything, Evie thought he had dropped any and all sense when he first informed her of what was going to happen. She didn't want to leave him, Charlie, her home, any of it. There was a short time when she even thought he valued her brother's life over hers. But once he explained his reasons, setting aside the paranoia, she began to realize she had no other alternative that would prove to be better. Evie was in more danger staying home than she was living somewhere else. Going to Birmingham to live with an old friend of her mother's was her only option. Polly was her only safe way out.

Evie sniffed, suddenly curious about the lack of people around. "Correct me if I'm wrong, I only meet you all briefly once before, but weren't there more of you?"

"Yes, there are." Polly hesitated, throwing a glance towards her niece. "Ada's three older brothers, they're fighting in the war... alongside what seems like every man in England."

She suddenly felt as if she was prying, looking between the two women. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude."

"It's alright, Evie. Really." Ada assured her, shaking her head.

A loud creak interrupted them, bring all three of the women away from their conversation. Polly held her hand up to silence them, waiting until they heard the sound again. "Finn Shelby you come out here." She demanded. It wasn't long before a small boy appeared in front of them in his pajamas, a look of guilt across his face. Although that guilty expression soon dropped into a curious look once his gaze landed on Evie. "Who are you?" He asked her. Polly poked at his arm. "Manners." She warned. "This is Evie. She's going to be staying with us for a while."

Evie smiled. "Hello."

"Evie this is Finn. Ada's youngest brother." Polly added, bringing him over to sit beside them. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Aunt Pol, I'm not tired! And I'm almost ten! Can't I stay up with you?" He pleaded.

"At this hour? No sir— back upstairs." She said, interrupting him when he whined about the situation. Polly stood, ushering her youngest nephew back from where he came, soon disappearing from her view. While she couldn't see the stairs, she could hear Polly's shoes when she climbed up as well as the softer patter of Finn's feet.

Evie looked down to the tea she was nursing, feeling the warmth begin to fade. She felt as if she had an immense weight on top of her chest, feeling unable to act as she normally did. It wasn't entirely out of character. The Shelby's were a family she had heard her father mention before, and people he would remind her they had met once, although she could barely remember a thing about them. The only security she had when arriving in Birmingham an hour ago was that Polly knew her mother for years, but that could only do so much. Half of the Shelby's weren't even here. Ada seemed kind enough, and Finn was already someone she figured she would enjoy the company of, but she still felt extremely out of place. Her mother and sister would've died a month ago when the next day came, and their funeral three weeks. But it wasn't enough time. Her father didn't give her nearly enough time to grieve, never mind the blow to his own emotions. Evie didn't want to be here, she wanted to be home in Scotland with him, her brother, comforting them as they did for her.

Alas, even with the overbearing want for what clouded her mind, she knew she could never get it. Her safety came first. ' _You can't grieve when you're dead' w_ as what her father told her, in a rather harsh tone as she recalled. But nevertheless, he was right. She couldn't go back home, not now, and she kept repeating this to herself over and over. They were in the middle of a war, a World War people called it. Sneaking her out of Scotland just to take her where he wanted her to be was a risk in itself, therefore trying to go back wasn't an option. She settled with the fact that she would just have to find a different way to grieve, but Evie wondered exactly how that could happen, considering crying was all she could think of.

Ada cleared her throat slightly, bringing her out of her thoughts. "I hate to ask the question that everyone asks during times like this... but are you alright? Honestly?"

Evie stared at the brunette for a moment, mulling over the question while swirling the drink in her hand. Eventually, she shook her head, right at the moment Polly reappeared. "No." She mumbled, feeling a smile ironically come across her face. "I feel like I've barely had any time to grieve."

Polly gave her an understanding look, sitting back down where she originally was. "It always feels that way sweetheart. When you have other things in life that need your attention, it's hard to find a time where you think you can let it all out."

Evie blinked, taking in her words as she looked from one area of the floor to another. "But that's the problem. I don't have anything else that needs my attention. Even though I understand my father's reasons, I was still forced here. And I don't want to cry in front of you all, in your home after you've welcomed me. It just doesn't seem right at all."

Polly looked over to her niece who already had the same soft, knowing smile that was forming across her own features. "Believe me, that isn't something we'll judge you for. You can cry and yell for however long you need to. Even if you're still doing it when the boys come home, we'll tell 'em to mind their own and leave you be."

Evie smiled at her gratefully, although she doubted she would be crying for that long. She was never one to bawl for days on end, rather just have the feeling of sadness cling onto her. It was why she would busy herself when she was upset, much like her father. The sadness that loomed over her now, well, there were multiple reasons. The loss of her mother and sister was the obvious one, although ever since it had begun, she felt a tug at her emotions due to the war. Of course, it wasn't something to be unexpected. It was hard to find anyone who's emotions weren't turned by the world-wide conflict.

"When do you suppose this whole thing will be over?" She thought out loud.

Ada rubbed her finger along the rim of her cup, beginning to wonder the same thing. In reality, they all knew they could never be completely certain when a battle so enormous could truly come to an end. One little mistake and the whole thing could go on for another eternity. It had already lasted for so long, making her wonder if they could even fathom what life would be like without it. She hoped they would. There were many who had received a worse outcome from the war than they had, that she could not doubt, but no matter what you experienced or avoided, no one could deny the change in the air. Every single person, whether near them or far away, was affected in one way or another. Thankfully her brother was never drafted, he wasn't old enough at the time, but now that he was eighteen she worried if he would begin to feel a sense of duty. Given their father's isolation, Charlie felt the need to take responsibility in some areas of their life. He had told her that it was time he grew up, and while she was proud to see her little brother coming into the man she knew he would be, she was worried. Talk of the World War coming to an end had already begun to stir when the beginning of the new year came along, but no one could know this for certain, which left her to wonder if he would go. There was no possible way her father would allow him to, but still, she prayed he wouldn't try. Evie didn't want to lose both her siblings.

Polly took a deep breath. "When the boys come back. That's when we'll know."


	9. Chapter 9

_1924:_

_. . ._

Church bells. Church bells and an abundance of voices. That was what filled her ears since she woke that morning. First, it was Ada and Karl, one telling her to hurry up so they could reach Birmingham on time and another pleading for her to get him out of his uncomfortable coat. Then, it was Polly on the phone fussing over missing members of the band who were supposed to arrive at the house that morning and no later— something Evie could fix easily with a few musicians from her club —and now, it was John's mumbling it the pews about the cavalry. Evie continuously elbowed him in the side throughout the entire ceremony, telling him he'd have to deal with it while reminding him it was Grace's family he was talking about. That did nothing but rile him on, but once the ceremony was finished she practically fled from her seat next to him, going to walk with Ada as they all exited the church in one big crowd.

Arthur fussed over the kid's refusals to stand still for the wedding photo for a solid two minutes, having to chase some of them down. Eventually, he had them wrangled up, and once the photograph was taken Evie's arms were suddenly occupied by Karl. Despite his growing age, he still begged for her to give him a piggyback ride. She absentmindedly listened to both the brother's complaints and Karl's very random talk of his toys, that is until he suddenly lit up, tapping on her shoulder and telling her there were horses coming round. "Yes, there are! They're beautiful aren't they?" Evie smiled.

"I believe one of these beauties are for you, Ms. Cardone!" Johnny-Doggs practically shouted over the conversing crowd, turning many heads despite their attention on the bride and groom who were climbing into their carriage.

Evie furrowed her brow, putting the toddler back on his feet to stand next to his mother. "Johnny, why'd you bring 'em here at the front of the church? Could you not wait for me to walk over to where they were kept?"

Johnny paused to adjust his own horse's reign around his wrist. "I 'ad to get them out before everyone leaves. Nevermind that, he's all saddled up and ready for ya. C'mon."

Evie walked down the last two steps in front of her, gliding by the few she had to pass to get to where he was. The man's near-shouting over the boisterous crowd caught John's attention, as well as Polly and Michael who were two of those she had walked by. "Evie, are you riding one?" Polly asked with a smirk.

"Well I'm not walkin' in these bloody shoes all the way to the house." She replied, taking the shoes Johnny-Doggs had in one hand once she approached. Once she replaced her heels with riding boots, or what was equal to them anyway, Evie took one of the reigns from his other hand. A smaller, brown-coated Fresian relaxed under her touch, whinnying slightly as she stroked his forehead. "This sweetheart had no one to take him back to the stables, so I thought I'd ride him back with Johnny."

"Are you serious?" Michael looked over at her in slight jealousy. "She gets to do that while we 'ave to walk?"

"Oh please, stop whining. You sound like a child." Polly scolded.

John chuckled, pushing at the back of Michael's head before being dragged away by a pair of kids.

Michael adjusted his hat, trying not to look as envious as his mother saw he was. "Do you know how to ride?" He asked, now purely out of curiosity.

Evie grinned. "I've known how to ride for longer than I've known how to walk, Michael. Horses were what my father invested in before he became an arms dealer." She threw the reign's over the horse's head. "Besides, I wore trousers under my dress, so no worries." She added, lifting herself up onto the saddle. While Polly never asked, Evie pointed her glance down to her, knowing she and many others were probably wondering now that her dress was hitched back a few inches. But as she had claimed, three-quarter pants appeared right underneath, with her calves covered by the tall boots.

Despite leaving his wife to walk, Johnny-Doggs was given her permission to ride, which was why Evie hadn't left yet. Once he was mounted his own horse, she clicked her tongue, ushering the horse forward with a squeeze of her legs. As they left the church grounds she moved into a trot, but once they got closer to Arrow House she slowed into a walk, wanting to savor her riding time. Even with the slight rain beginning to fall from the gray skies, Evie decided to take it slow. She couldn't remember the last time she had gotten to ride and she hoped that Tommy and Grace wouldn't mind her visiting every once and a while to do so in the future. She remembered how amused Tommy looked a few weeks ago when she lit up like a child on Christmas day at the sight of the abundance of horses they now had. Teaching Charles how to ride when he was older was something she would most definitely mention to him, and while it would be more of an excuse, the thought of it appealed to her.

As they approached the drive she could see the crowd arrive from the right of the house, umbrellas raising and kids separating from their parents to run around. She wasn't surprised to see that John was the ring leader of this and laughed at the sight. Both she and Johnny slowed their horses to let the carriage pass, only picking up their pace again once it came to the door of the house. If she was being honest, Evie would've forgone the post-wedding party to ride for the remainder of the day, but she had been given a few responsibilities— one of them being keeping an eye on the boys to make sure nothing out of bounds occurred on Tommy's wedding day. She figured she wouldn't have to do so, remembering how he mentioned rallying them up for a talk in the kitchen, however if that was so, she knew Polly would come drag her away from the horses to socialize with the guests like a normal young woman. By guests, she knew it would be men who were her age.

Ever since she settled into her club, let everything calm down, Polly began looking for men to set her up with. During her phone calls she would mention a young man she met on Main Street or one Michael met during his business endeavors, and when Evie would find time to visit Birmingham, Polly would try to get her an actual date. She was taken back by the sudden eagerness Polly had for her to find a love life, but she didn't hide her annoyance one bit. Thankfully this lessened over time, but that didn't keep Polly from trying, and leave her more aggravated about it than ever. If it wasn't clear in her expressions, she had told Polly she wasn't interested. Initially, this had shocked the older woman because Evie tended to be the hopeless romantic out of the bunch, but like she had told her many times, she had her own business to run now. Evie already had so much to do when she wasn't trying to relax and finding someone she could potentially fall for wasn't something she wanted to add to her plate at the moment.

Nevertheless, once she passed the crowd to the back of the house, were the stables sat quietly waiting for them, she dismounted— replacing the boots with her heels —making her way inside where Polly would most likely try at it again.

* * *

As expected, Evie didn't have to keep an eye on Isaiah and Finn like she was originally asked. She was thankful for it because even though both of them were very well aware of what she could do if they stepped out of line, they still proved to be a handful when it came to staying out of trouble. Finn and Isaiah weren't children, that was for certain, but they were still bold enough to get themselves stuck in situations they never should've messed with in the first place. Hell, even John could be like that sometimes and he was only a year younger than her.

"Who would'a thought that there'd be someone better known than Tommy Shelby at his own wedding than Tommy fuckin' Shelby." John laughed as she approached him, Arthur and Esme. Evie huffed loudly, feeling slightly overwhelmed. "I didn't think so many people from London would be invited, nevermind those who know who I am." She admitted with wide eyes.

"It seems 'Amelia's' is turnin' ya into somethin' of a celebrity, eh?" Arthur joked.

"Shut up, I am not." She laughed in between her words but was far from amused. Evie grabbed for a glass of champagne from the tray passing by them, taking a long sip. "Having that many people approach me all at once makes me anxious. At least in the club, I can avoid these things." She added, looking throughout the sea of people in the large living room.

Even after a few minutes of silence between them, Evie barely took notice of how Arthur had suddenly disappeared. She was too busy enjoying the drink that calmed her nerves wonderfully. Once she emptied her glass, she and John moved through the house to find Arthur again, ending up just outside the music room, where many of the guests had gone to dance. They had no luck at finding the eldest Shelby, but were accompanied by handful of Blinders. She imagined that was a sight to behold for the Burgess family.

A few weeks before, Grace made a trip up to London after asking for her help with preparations. It was the first time in a long while that Evie had the chance to chat with her, and their conversation didn't go without a little gossip sewed in. While Evie's father didn't go off to fight in the war, almost a year into it he began selling weapons to the British forces. The World War caused his small arms dealing business to skyrocket, and the newfound power he gained didn't go unnoticed, or unenvied. Jealousy was an incredibly manipulative feeling, and Evie wasn't surprised to find that most of those who called her father a coward were also jealous of his success. Grace's uncle, however, was one of those who actually admired him for it and his admiration didn't go unmentioned during her visit. In fact, Evie learned that a good many of her family knew the name Cardone.

Before the wedding ceremony, she had been stolen away by two of the bride's cousins who, while gave her rather boring small talk, raved about her and her family. Although with her choice of transportation earlier, the guests from London approaching her about her club, and the group she now stood with, Evie imagined they were grimacing. The ones she could see across the room were, and in all honesty, she thought it was amusing.

For a moment, Evie was drifted off by the music despite the fast pace of it, until she felt a jab at her side. "Ow!" She looked over to see John was the one who caused the short-lived pain, punching at his arm in annoyance. "What was that for?"

He pointed his head across the room where she had glanced over to only minutes ago. "One a' them's lookin' over at ya."

Evie turned her gaze to match John's, seeing he was speaking of Grace's family. Whichever side the man that glanced at them were from, Evie didn't know, but she knew the Blinder wouldn't care either way. John was already perturbed by the provocation from the cavalry, nevermind one of them stealing a glance at her. She assumed the man was the youngest out of those dressed in red uniform, given he was the only one who was cleanly shaven and lacked graying hair, but his eyes were what confirmed her thoughts. Despite everything he experienced in the war, John still retained that youthful glisten in his eye, and the man who refused to tear his stare away from her looked to have the same.

Evie had only glanced at him, but nevertheless, she looked away uncomfortably. Although that only seemed to boost his confidence, as John— despite now having his back turned to her —was mumbling that the man was walking over. She huffed, snagging an abandoned cigarette tray from the small table near them. Despite her reluctance to smoke for the past few days, the amount of cigarettes and lighters sprawled out all over Tommy's house was tempting, and Evie felt a great need for one at the moment.

"I caught your glance a second ago." She heard him begin as she lit the cigarette in her hand.

Evie hummed, smirking slightly at the man before she let a puff of smoke escape her mouth. Her assumptions were most certainly true. He couldn't be a day older than Arthur. "Declan Burgess, I'm General Curran's son." He curtly nodded.

"Evie Cardone." She replied simply with a small smile.

A grin came across his lips. "Oh I know. Grace speaks highly of you. My father talks of yours quite often as well. Your family has quite the reputation in Ireland."

"All good things I hope."

"For the most part, yes."

Evie hummed once more, giving him no further response. Noticing the sudden silence in their conversation, and her disinterest, Declan cleared his throat. "I couldn't help but notice you are alone."

It was these words that caught John's attention, as well as the attention of the Blinders who were originally enjoying their own conversations. Isaiah and Finn were among this group.

"Not entirely." She said, seeing John turn to face him from the corner of her eye. He was probably staring daggers into him now. Declan, surprisingly, let out an amused chuckle. "I'm sure your...  _company_  wouldn't mind my speaking to you, hm?" His words held a distaste to them, making her raise her brow.

Evie glanced down to the floor as she took another drag of her cigarette. "I must say you have a lot of nerve coming over here."

"Beg your pardon?"

"Given the choice of words you and a few of your family members threw at us under your breath." She continued. Silence. While she was aware the commentary that Arthur had mentioned earlier that day had very little if nothing to do with her, Evie still took it to heart, knowing how offensive it was to them. She bobbed her head to the side. "I have my way of figuring things out."

Declan shook his head, avoiding the hard stares he was receiving. "I can assure you none of that was intended for you. A lady of your stature would never be,  _should_  never be talked of in that manner." He assured her. Evie inwardly cringed at the smile he flashed. He was trying to maneuver her away from the subject with flattery. "Come," He continued. "Why don't we go to a less crowded area? I'm sure you'd find my family to be better company."

John stiffened at his words. Declan reached out towards her, gripping her hand rather than offering his hand out. Evie immediately pulled away, throwing him a glare.

"I'd keep your 'ands off 'er if I were you, mate." Isaiah spoke up, suddenly at his right side, standing almost too close.

Evie raised the back of her hand against John's chest to keep him from moving towards Declan as well. "Isaiah, fists down. There's no need for such actions." She warned, looking back to Declan. "While I'm sure  _Grace's_  family is lovely, I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions, thank you."

His expression was now angered, although she could see he was desperately trying to hide it. He clearly didn't approve of the company she kept, much like most of the cavalry around. Declan was dressed as a soldier, not a fighter, making her wonder if he would stick to the role. "Considering you say your father speaks of my father often, I'm assuming you're well aware of the similarities between our families. My grandfather was also a soldier," She paused looking him up and down, "although, he knew how to treat people respectfully no matter their background. He was honorable. I'm afraid I can't say the same for you."

Evie lifted her hand which held the cigarette she was nursing as he took in her words, along with the poorly suppressed laughter directed at him. "Arrogance is a rather unattractive quality, did you know that?" She asked. "Come along gentlemen. We're not welcome over here."

Evie left Declan to deal with his anger alone, with John, Isaiah, and Finn following behind her.

"The fuckin' nerve 'e had." John muttered once they were a few feet away. "After what he and those whops did during the war— 'e had the balls to come up to ya and talk about us like that, and grab ya the way 'e did too— I should'a cut 'im where 'e stood."

Evie halted in her tracks, grabbing him by the arm. "John, stop it." She sighed. "I'm just as aware as you are about the fact that those men never showed when you needed them, hm? They left you in the mud for weeks— I remember Tommy tellin' us that." Evie paused, noticing the perturbed look still lingered on Isaiah's face.

"But  _no._ fighting." She pushed at his arm, looking back over to John. "As much as I'd like to see you give 'im the beating he deserves, they're Grace's family. We don't need more bad blood."

John mulled over her words, exhaling deeply. "Fine," He nodded. "Fine, but if 'e tries somethin' like that one more time, I take 'is tongue."

"John." She warned, but he was already walking off. "John I'm serious—" she called out as he disappeared into the crowd. "Bloody hell." She mumbled, shaking her head. Evie grabbed at Finn's arm, soon pushing him and Isaiah to the left. "C'mon. Dinner's startin' soon."

* * *

"They're not 'secret little meetings', they're just meetings. We talk about the world, about the people in it, about our current political landscape and what's going on— you know we really need to re-evaluate the way our government has done things."

Evie sighed, turning her gaze away from Ada to talk to Lizzie. "I swear to God, she's worse at home." She whispered, making them both giggle.

"She's a completely different person from four years ago." Polly added in a hushed tone. "Very strange indeed."

"Polly, he's lookin' over." Lizzie interrupted. Evie turned her glance across the table, seeing the man Lizzie had caught looking across stand from his seat.

"He's comin'. He bloody is." She continued, noticing Polly's disbelief. Polly suddenly became all smiles for a moment, until she noticed who they had been speaking of.

Polly's smile disappeared. "Fuck, it's the wrong one."

"Wrong one?" Evie questioned quietly. "How many are there?"

"There's two givin' me the eye. I prefer the other one. He looked harmless."

"Must be that bloody lipstick Tommy brought you back from New York." Lizzie assumed, taking a sip of her drink as the man came behind them. Evie was amused to see how the men were flocking to Polly rather than her. It was quite the opposite of what the older woman intended to do that evening.

"I couldn't help but notice you are unaccompanied. I am also alone." He said. "May I join you?"

Lizzie almost immediately excused herself to leave them alone. Also feeling the slight awkwardness, Evie moved to follow her, but Polly quickly gave her a look as to stay where she was before she could even stand, so she settled back into her chair. Polly wanted her to listen in, so, that's what she did. Evie's head was now turned back over in Ada's direction, making it seem like she was uninterested in the man who now sat next to her.

"Where are you from?" She could hear Polly ask, as well as the sound of a lighter.

"I'm a refugee."

"From where?"

Silence came for a few moments, making Evie more curious than she already was. "Russia." She heard him state plainly. "In the past few months, Thomas has developed some business interests with Russia. I see he has confided in you, hm? You need his permission to even speak to me."

Evie rested her hand on her palm, pretending that she was paying attention to what Ada was saying, although what she had just heard the man say now crowded her thoughts.  _Tommy had business affiliations with Russians now?_

"My senior position within the Shelby company means I don't often have to ask permission from anyone to do anything. So, perhaps you'll just tell me why the fuck you're talking Russian business on Thomas's wedding day."


	10. Chapter 10

Arthur's speech had gone terribly, that much was clear to her. He barely got in three sentences before he began to turn the wrong direction, ultimately being hushed by Tommy and a chorus of 'to marriage'. Evie knew he wasn't an idiot. He wouldn't actually speak of the circumstances of Grace's previous husband's death, but that wouldn't keep her family from wondering. Wondering was something they were trying to avoid altogether with multiple situations occurring tonight.

Evie wasn't sure why Polly wanted her to eavesdrop on her conversation with the Russian earlier, but she could only assume she'd find out later on. Originally the rule was 'no business on Tommy's wedding day', but now it seemed they had no choice, and now, she was trying to find Arthur.

First, she had gone to the living room where all the whiskey had been placed throughout the day, wondering if this would be one of the times he'd want to return to alcohol. Surprisingly, it was not. Arthur was nowhere to be seen. Although it didn't take her long to figure out where he had trailed off to, now that she could hear Tommy and Linda's voices near the front of the house. She only had time to reach the entrance of the living space before she saw a cluster of neatly placed, blonde curls come her way.

"Hello Evie." Linda greeted warmly. Evie never had the chance to truly sit down with the other woman— get to know her well —but even with the lack of conversation, she could tell Linda leaned towards a slightly judgmental persona when it came to her. Not that it was a purely negative action. She knew Linda disapproved of some things she did for the sake of her safety as she did with Arthur, although Evie would be lying if she said she wasn't irked by the wife's repetitive mention of their faith. Both women practiced the same religion, although being a quaker, Linda held a few different standards, and would sometimes mention how Evie shouldn't be involved in certain things. Her club was an honorable mention in Linda's thinly veiled scolding, as well as the favors she used to carry out for Tommy. The similar business her family was involved in 'even after the tragedy that came upon your mother and sister' was probably what she emphasized the most, that is until Arthur told her enough was enough.

Nevertheless, even with her judgements, Linda would always come back in other areas to compliment her or talk positively. Evie appreciated it to some degree, and honestly, it helped with her attempts to get along with her, which was why she smiled softly at the greeting. "Linda."

"Looking for the boys I imagine?"

"It seems I'm always the one to do so."

Linda smiled. "You have a big heart for them, I understand. In fact, I think they need that." She paused, before deciding to take Evie's hand in hers. "We have to be the light in this family, hm? Make sure they don't forget where their blessings come from."

Despite the unexpectedness of Linda's words, Evie gave her a small nod of understanding. There were multiple ways in which she could've meant what she said, but Evie didn't bother trying to figure it out.

"They're just outside the door." Linda answered her silent question, squeezing her hand before walking back to the dining room. Evie furrowed her brow, looking to nothing in particular as she mulled over what had just been spoken to her. Linda always had odd timing. Her words, however, were quickly shaken from her mind as she went in the direction the other woman told her the brothers were.

"You think I would say it! Don't you? You  _think_  I would say it!" She could hear Arthur's shouts before she even saw him, and his words only made her mentally roll her eyes when two cavalrymen came through the door, nodding at her kindly as they passed. Evie nodded back politely, only sighing in annoyance once they were gone. As she approached the door, the first thing she saw was Arthur dramatically walking around the drive. "Nosey bastards!"

She stood right in his line of sight, but if he had acknowledged her, she couldn't tell. Tommy hadn't taken notice of her presence yet either, given his back was turned to her and he was now walking towards his brother rather quickly. "You stay away from me," Arthur muttered. "You stay away from me I've had i—"

Now Tommy began to chase him around the fountain, a sight that made her burst out in a small giggle. Evie leaned against the side of the archway with one had over her mouth in an attempt to contain herself. She was trying not to laugh at Arthur's clumsy trip, given the pain to his ankle that came with, but she couldn't help it. It was only when Tommy took notice of her as he came back to the doorway that she removed her hand to cross her arms, but quickly pressed her lips together tightly for Arthur's sake now that he was limping a little. "What are you laughin' at?" He grumbled at her.

Evie forced herself to stop giggling under her breath. "Sorry— I'm sorry. Here, c'mon." She moved from her leaning position to help Arthur sit carefully onto the steps, deciding to sit next to him herself.

"Three shots I've had." Arthur told his brother. "I drew the line."

"I know." Tommy assured him. "I know you've turned a corner." He kneeled next to the other side of his brother.

"I'm your best man." Arthur continued, receiving another 'I know.' "I wasn't gonna tell no-one. Evie knows that, right?"

She huffed in amusement, squeezing his shoulder while giving him a smile that confirmed his question. "It's alright, Arthur— it's done."

Tommy nodded in agreement with her words, switching his gaze from his brother to her. "Evie, would you mind leaving— I need to speak to Arthur about something."

"If you mean the Russian, I already know." She answered curtly, looking down to her now crossed legs. Tommy furrowed his brow. "How do you know about that?"

"The man sat right bloody next to me at dinner. You can thank Polly for wearin' that lipstick you got 'er." She relayed, looking back over to the younger brother. "I overheard him speaking to her— or rather she wanted me to overhear while he spoke to 'er. You're doing business with Russian's now?"

"Nevermind the details, Evie." Tommy retaliated calmly. He rubbed his eyes anxiously before taking a quick drag of his cigarette. Before long, he then stretched his arm out behind Arthur to hand it over to her. While surprised by the action, Evie took it gladly. "Right, well," The brother mumbled, dragging his hands over his face in frustration. "I suppose you would've found out eventually, whether or not Polly helped."

Evie smiled innocently, being fully aware of how her knack for discovering things annoyed the brothers. It reminded them too much of Polly, she knew that as well.

"Anyhow," Tommy continued, "The Russians have made contact. We have to get used to how these bastards operate. For them, family is a weakness and they go after them. For me, family is my strength. There's business to be done and I need you, Arthur." He told his brother, poking at his chest. "Now fuck speeches, fuck weddings. You're my best man every fucking day."

Arthur nodded, seeming touched by his brother's words. "Ok."

"Yeah? Now c'mon, get up." Tommy bobbed his head, pulling his brother to his feet. "Now go an' get John. Get him sobered up. Find Johnny-Doggs."

Once Arthur nodded again, he turned to look down to Evie. "Evie you go find Polly and tell 'er what's going to happen." He told her, helping her stand to her feet. "It actually might help, you knowing about this. She's been somewhat distracted tonight."

Evie was about to make a sly remark towards his last words, but chose not to, settling with a smirk as she threw the cigarette to the ground.

"It's the Russians through the smoke tonight."

* * *

_"I was told money on contact. Ten thousand in U.S. dollars."_

_"My employer only trusts members of his family with cash. She'll be at Snow Hill station at ten o'clock."_

_Tommy chuckled dryly. "A woman alone in Birmingham with ten thousand dollars in cash."_

_"She also has a revolver. I thought you trusted women?"_

_"I don't trust Birmingham. I'll 'ave her picked up."_

_"By who?"_

_"By the police pal. This is our city."_

This was the conversation which had occurred only minutes ago before he returned to his brothers. Now they stood outside the gatehouse, watching a car approach them. The headlights from the vehicle stood as their only light, aside from the moon which was blocked by a few towering hedges, almost leaving them in a shadow. As expected, Moss stepped out from the driver's seat.

"Tommy, may I introduce you to the Grand Duchess Tatiana Petrovna from Tbillsi, Georgia." He announced as the woman appeared from the back seat. "Grand Duchess, may I introduce you to the Shelby brothers. Small Heath, Birmingham." He continued, turned to Tommy once he was done. "Good luck with this one, Tom."

Tommy's expression remained passive. "Give me the money." He stated plainly once Moss left them be.

"I was told to give it to Mr. Kaledin."

"Whoever it is up there, he gave the wrong name. We asked 'im the name, and he gave the wrong one."

"What name did he give?" She questioned.

"No." Tommy interrupted with a shake of his head. "No. I don't trust any of you. Now you give me the money."

The duchess's stare hardened. "I know Mr. Kaledin by sight from Tbillisi." She insisted. "Is his hair dark?"

"The instructions I was given, was anyone using the wrong code name was an infiltrator for the Soviet Embassy." Tommy argued.

"Just let me go to the house." She pressed.

"I do not want this shit anywhere near my fuckin' house!" His voice raised, silencing her persistence. "All I know is no variations. That's from Churchill himself. Now whoever it is at the house, he gave the wrong fuckin' name." He paused, watching as her stare faded away from the determination it once held. "And you do this to me on my fucking wedding day." He clicked.

"The money is in the car Mr. Shelby." She curtly replied. "Fetch it out and count it."

He nodded, calling for Finn to go to the back of her car. Once Arthur checked what was in the case, Tommy bobbed his head. "You can go."

* * *

After the unexpectedly short ending to the wedding toasts, when Evie came back inside, she noticed most of the guests had flocked to the music room. Polly was among this crowd as she had hoped. After informing her of what Tommy had said, it wasn't long before he appeared again, prompting Polly to find the Russian who approached her so forwardly.

Evie watched from the corner of her eye as Polly briefly spoke to him at the doorway, and once she began to walk back her way, she felt a slight twinge of excitement bubble up. She had never spoken to a Russian, nevermind do business with one. Although when Polly looped her arm through her own, telling her their part was done, Evie couldn't deny the aggravation she felt. While she had thought she grew out of her involvement with the Shelby's business and the favors she had done, the part of her that enjoyed it was suddenly reappearing. Evie tried reasoning with herself, deciding that part of it was because she wanted to get away from the boisterous dancing crowd, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the people around her weren't a factor. For a moment she wondered if she was going mad,  _wanting_  to be involved in things she knew were dangerous. Maybe it was because she hadn't been involved in it for two years? Or perhaps it was her father instilling the intrigue she had towards such things over time. Maybe it was both.

"Evie! Where's John?"

She was nearly startled from the tuned out state she was in, as well as the cushion she relaxed back into. "Jesus." She muttered, placing a hand on her chest. Evie sat up from her position, turning to see Tommy looking down at her expectantly. "He's looking for Esme— why?"

Tommy huffed, squatting down to her level. "We tossed a coin and Arthur lost." He said in a hushed voice. "Pol says she hasn't seen Ada in a while. Go find 'er. Bring 'er back— I need the three of you in here till everything's done."

"Yes, boss." Her tone was sarcastic, making him aware of his own demanding tone but also reminding him of the fact that she hadn't been involved in their endeavors since Darby day. Tommy stood back up, ushering her to stand too. Once she did so he grabbed her by the arm lightly, leading her just outside of the room, away from prying ears.

"Evie, the Russian Pol talked to is a fuckin' infiltrator. A spy." He explained quietly. "He's not in league with those I'm doin' business with. That's why Arthur and I did a coin toss."

Evie's eyes widened. "A  _spy_ — a damn Russian spy got in here?" She whispered back in shock.

Tommy nodded as she began to mumble frustratedly. "I know, I know." He said, placing his hands just below her shoulders in hopes of calming her a bit. "That's why I need you to find Ada." He pressed, seeing the gears turn in her head.

"Right, yeah." She nodded. "I'll go look for 'er."

"Good." A hint of a smile flashed across his face for a moment.

Evie locked her hand with his, both of them giving a reassuring squeeze before disappearing to opposite ends of the house. Tommy was never one for hugs, that was something she quickly found out after they got to know each other all those years ago in Small Heath. So, as replacement, whenever he felt he needed to give her a little support— or vice versa —he would squeeze her hand as he had just done.

She let out a long, now stressed breath. While she had ventured around Arrow House before, it wasn't a place she knew like the back of her hand. There were so many rooms one could go into and stairs to climb, making it harder for her to find Ada quickly as she intended.

"Mary!" Evie called out, suddenly spotting the housekeeper descend from the second level of the house.

"Yes Ms. Cardone, may I help you with something?" The older woman replied, a stoic, yet warm expression plastered onto her face as she came to the bottom of the stairs.

"Actually, yes. Have you seen Ada anywhere?"

"I saw her go down the hall there a moment ago." She pointed to Evie's left, where a long hallway sat as she said. "There was an older gentleman with her as well. I didn't recognize him."

Evie nodded, letting her lips part slightly. "Right. Thank you, Mary." She replied, walking away, down into the hall. With the suddenly pronounced music coming from the band, Evie now wished Mary had also told her which room she saw them go into. It was nearly impossible to listen for any noise apart from it, which made her all the more frustrated. Tommy hadn't said whether this man was dangerous or not, making her worry if the same thing that happened because of Sabini would happen to Ada again. She pressed her ear carefully against each door she passed, quietly going from one to the other until she heard one familiar voice. Evie breathed a sigh of relief, composing herself before grabbing the door handle, which was thankfully left unlocked.

"Ada?"

Her voice seemed to catch both her friend and the man she expected to see with her off guard. Although while Ada's was confused, her company held a look of distaste. It seemed she had interrupted something. "Oh, my apologies." She excused. "I hope I didn't walk into anything important?"

Ada shook her head, looking between Evie and her company. "No— don't worry about it, Evie. Did you need me for something? I was just in the middle of a conversation."

"Well  _I_  don't, but Polly does." She began, walking closer to the pair on the couch. "She needs your help with a tear on the back of her dress but I don't know how to fix it. She told me you were something of a seamstress?"

Ada nodded. "Yes, but is it that important?" She asked.

Evie raised her brow. "She left the company of a gentleman rather quickly to ask me for help, so I would assume so."

The breathy laugh that escaped Ada's mouth told her she had been convinced. "Well then, I suppose we mustn't keep her from lookin' her best, hm?" Ada said, quickly apologized to the man as she stood. This action prompted Evie to glance in his direction as she stood herself.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I completely ignored you." She suddenly stopped in her tracks, turning to face him. "That was terribly rude of me. I'm Evie Cardone, I believe you sat next to me for a moment during dinner?"

While unexpecting of her acknowledgment, the man nodded. "Anton Kaledin." He greeted. "And yes, I believe I did. I'm sorry we didn't get to chat then."

"Oh, it's no worry." Evie shook her head. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Kaledin. I'm sorry I have to drag your company away so abruptly."

"No please, go ahead." He excused, prompting both women to leave the room quietly.

Once the door closed behind them, Ada turned over to her. "So where is Pol now?"

"Still in the music room," Evie informed her as they walked down the hall. She turned her head back for a moment, spotting Arthur appear at the door they just came from. It was only when he threw a nod her way that she looked back around. "I think she's over in the back near the fireplace. C'mon." She continued, looping her arm through Ada's.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry if these last few chapters have sounded like fillers. They're honestly not but at the same time I'm still building up to more important parts of the story so they're not as attention-grabbing. This chapter will be where things start to move along.

 

_My darling Evie,_

The one of many in her stack of letters from her father began exactly as the rest had.

_Very little has changed since I wrote to you last, only weeks before last Christmas. As I had mentioned in my previous letter, Edinburgh is increasing in population every passing day. I have had very little luck in finding a new, more secluded house to move to. Although, I have considered buying property in the countryside and build a house as I imagine rather than settling for one only close to what I pictured. If that day comes, I will be sure to write to you._

_Your brother, that boy, he is growing fast. He towers over myself, as I have already told you before. I am sure you are bored of hearing my talk of how you both grow so much, but as a father, I simply cannot help it. Now that he is twenty three I would expect him to find a girl he wants to settle down with, but sadly that has not happened yet. At least to my knowledge. The only girl he wishes to see is his sister. I do as well. I miss you terribly my darling._

_Although I am saddened to say that along with Edinburgh's growing population, there have come more threats. I have received information on newly appeared gangs eyeing our company, therefore our number of men have only increased. I think it is safe to say that the business's profit is the only positive outcome of the past few years here at home. The success of it has only made your brother and I wary._

_As you may have been wondering, Charlie is still living with me. He is old enough to own a property of his own, but we both agreed that it would be safer if he stays with me and that you stay in London. I know you wanted to come home for Christmas this year, but I am afraid I will have to ask you once again to stay where you are. Despite it only being February now, your brother and I have come to this decision. As you know, I cannot explain the reasons either. We mustn't discuss such things in our letters for the sake of our safety. I know it angers you, but as I have told you endless times before, I do these things out of love._

_I am eager to know about the progress of your club, as I have enjoyed reading about it in your previous letters. It delights me to hear how you have become so successful on your own. To know my men take to your leadership so well brings a smile to my face. Please do not hesitate to tell me if you need more security. I have many who are more than willing to make the trip._

_Send Ada my regards, as well as her son. I would like to meet that little man someday._

_Sincerely,_

_Your loving father._

The emotions that began to rise up inside her made her feel incredibly torn. On one hand, she was delighted to receive another letter from her father, but on the other, she wanted to tear it to shreds. He wanted her to stay in London for Christmas,  _again_. She had only come home once since she was sent away to Birmingham, and that time was nearly three years ago. The longing to be with her family again, even if it was just for a day, overwhelmed her.

Evie fidgeted with the parchment in her hands, trying to push her anger back down, but it failed. She slammed her fist onto the mahogany table, throwing the letter out of her hand as she stood. The action startled Ada out of her reading, making her nearly jump from the couch.

She stared at her friend's back in concern. "Evie, what is it?"

Silence came over them for many seconds, as all Evie could do was stare into the flames of the fireplace she approached. Her anger caused her expression to tense, and she felt her nose begin to run as she crossed her arms. She sniffed, blinking back the tears that had come with her short outburst. "He still won't let me come home." Evie relayed in a louder tone than she had intended.

While she heard no response from her, Evie heard her footsteps, and soon the crumple of the letter she had thrown to the floor. After a moment, Ada sighed. "He doesn't want you to come home for Christmas this year either." She observed.

Evie uncrossed her arms, turning away from the flames to face her. "I know I'm not a child anymore. I have a job— a  _business_ , I have a home of my own with you, but," She paused, flailing her hands around as she tried to find her words. "they're my family!"

"I know." Ada soothed, setting the letter back onto the table between them.

"He must understand that I want to see them— even with the supposed threats he's speaking of."

"Maybe it's more serious than you realize?" Ada tried reasoning with her as she approached. "With everything you've told me about your father over the years, I can only imagine he's asking this of you because he thinks it's safer for you here."

"But for the third year in a row?"

Ada sighed, wrapping her hand around her shoulders to lead her to the couch.

"If there's any similarity between our families, it's the protectiveness we have of each other." Ada began, reaching for a blanket to place over their laps as they sat. "I almost never understood Tommy's reasons for making me stay at home or their refusals to tell me anything about what they were doing. Whatever it was at the time. But in the end, I always realized that if I had gone against them, there's a chance I might not be here now."

Evie stayed silent, messing with the fabric that layer over her legs.

"However silly or pointless it may seem to us, we have to remember that we might not know everything that they do or see what they see. I know I didn't." Ada smiled. "It's frustrating, but it's something people like us have to live with."

"Frustrating is most certainly what it is." Evie scoffed, rubbing her temple. After a moment, she glanced over to the brunette. "I've never known you to be the counselor, Ada." She observed.

Ada shrugged, glancing over to the fire. "When you're related to people like Thomas Shelby and Polly Gray, you come to realize these things. However much you may disagree with it."

Evie looked down to her lap, twisting a thread that had come free of the stitching of the blanket. A long, aggravated sigh escaped her lips, although that was the only sound made for a while until Ada announced that she should check on Karl. All three of them had slept till noon that day, given their late return to London the night before. Tommy's wedding proved to be more of an experience than she had expected, and while they had been more than welcome to spend the night, Evie insisted they get home. She had to resume her responsibilities at 'Amelia's', something that seemed to be piling up every passing day.

Ada was well aware of the offer she accepted from Alfie almost a week ago, but aside from that, the arrangement was perfectly hidden. Which was why the thought of meeting with him tomorrow weighed heavily on her mind. Alfie had, of course, requested they discuss their business in his offices, but this only made her anxious. Tommy still had men placed in Camden Town, and she worried if they saw her that one of them would inform him. Then she'd have multiple curious Shelby's on her back, and with everything else involving Alfie that they didn't know about, it was a situation she didn't want to come to.

* * *

The familiar smell of bread mixed with whiskey filled her nose as she entered through the doors of Camden's 'Aerated Bread Company'. Evie could faintly remember the last time she stepped into Alfie's warehouse, although even with her inadequate memory she could see not much had changed. Except for a handful of new faces glancing over to her curiously. One of them had introduced himself as Daniel, and proceeded to tell her he was Alfie's new right hand. For reasons that he didn't bother to explain, Daniel informed her that Ollie was no longer there. She had to admit, she was somewhat saddened to hear this. Ollie was kind enough during her time spent in the distillery to where she grew fond of him, even if he was more of a quiet person.

But now that he wasn't around anymore, her mind had automatically gone to when she was last there, and how she had threatened to blow the place to pieces with a bomb. She remembered how petrified and embarrassed he looked when they last met, therefore wondered if Alfie fired him afterward. Although that thought had been trumped once Daniel told her he left only a few months ago due to a family emergency. To this day she still didn't know if the bomb had been real or not, but she never bothered to ask.

"Ms. Cardone." A rather light greeting escaped Alfie's mouth once she saw him appear, although all it did was annoy her. She hated being addressed by her last name unless it was absolutely necessary. "Mr. Solomons." She mimicked, causing him to match her perturbed look.

Alfie's eyes narrowed. "R'you mockin' me?"

She shrugged. "Just returning the annoyance."

Alfie huffed. "I'm just tryin' to sound professional round the new ones." He said in a quieter tone as if his formality was obvious. He threw a glance over to a cluster of men on the opposite side of the room before waving her over. "C'mon."

Evie quietly followed him down the corridors, neither of them speaking a word till they came to one area that wasn't devoid of people. The group of men that came into her view left her curious, although it wasn't long before she reminded herself of what her deal with Alfie entailed. " _These_ , are the men you'll be seein' round your club from now on. Boys say hello to the nice lady."

They all nodded their heads in unison, some expressionless while others flashed smiles her way, but Alfie huffed at the silence. "Buncha shy fuckers." He mumbled. "Samuel, my man. Come 'ere." He called, catching the attention of one very tall, blonde-haired man. The one who Alfie had dubbed as 'Samuel' smiled at her warmly. "Ms. Cardone, I must say it's a pleasure to finally put a face to the name." He nodded.

Evie raised her brow subtly, not expecting the formality. "Now obviously I won't be able to see things unfold in London." Alfie began. "I gotta stay 'ere. But Samuel 'ere will be what we'll call uh, the second in command. 'e'll report back to me from time to time, makin' sure our boys aren't clashin' with yours or anythin' like that."

"Ah." She nodded in realization. "So you'll be the peacemaker, hm?"

"Hopefully I'll be more of a keeper than a maker." He joked lightly. Evie smirked. "I like him."

"I would 'ope you would. He's one of my best workers." Alfie chuckled, clapping the thinner man on the shoulder. "Now go get these bastards back to work, they're lookin' like they're gettin' sleepy."

* * *

He watched intently as Finn and Isaiah returned, a trio of older men trailing behind them. Arthur smirked as they approached, clasping his hands in front of him. "You asked for a meetin' out in the open. Fresh air, the fine aroma of shit. Neutral ground you see."

Vincent Changretta took in the scenery before him, scrunching his nose at the smell. "This is hardly neutral ground."

"Well," Arthur said. "It's what you've got. So, por favivo, sit down."

John grinned at his brother's poor attempts to speak anything but English. Arthur plopped into one of the wooden chairs, extending out his hand as a silent offer for Changretta to sit. A small table was all that separated them from their company, covered by a waring cloth and adorned with china cups, with a teapot to match.

"Where is Thomas?" Changretta asked, still standing.

"He got called away." John replied.

"He said he'd be here."

"Yeah, he's busy." Arthur muttered, uninterested by the small talk the older man had started. "I just told you, he got called away. What d'you want?" John asked, irritated by Changretta's dismissal of what he initially said.

"There has been a peace between the Peaky Blinders and the Changretta family for two years now." He explained, pointing his gaze towards John. "We want an explanation."

"An explanation for what?" The younger brother asked, breaking his own gaze away from the older man.

The indifferent attitude John displayed in his tone began to irritate Changretta. "The Little Venice restaurant on Forge Street was burnt down." He explained, although his claims were quickly denied, only irritating him further. "You burnt it down to stop my son from being at that same wedding."

"Eh, he wasn't missed." Arthur rebutted. Changretta laughed dryly. "You are such big boys now. But once you borrowed clothes from us to look like men. Please tell Tommy that we pay him whatever he asks us to pay. We stay out of the city and off of the tracks, but you tell him from me that my son will walk with any woman in this city. Any woman he chooses. Even if that woman works for the Emporer, Thomas Shelby. My son is in love..."

Despite the seriousness that rang clear in his voice, John began to laugh. "Sorry, do excuse me." He said, attempting to compose himself. "Carry on."

"And if he wishes... he will walk with the woman he loves."

John looked away, seeming impassive about what he had just heard. "Ok," He nodded, sitting up from his reclined position to reach for the teapot. "Y'know, it'd be hard for your son to walk anywhere with a bullet in each knee, wouldn't it?"

If he had intended to hide the anger in his words, he didn't try too hard. Changretta immediately recognized the threat in his tone, straightening his posture. "Too much." He pointed at John. "You said too much, my friend. Sabini says 'suck and swallow' but no! Too much." Changretta spat on the ground in front of them, mumbling in his mother tongue as he stormed away and one of his henchmen destroyed a chair.

"Isaiah," Arthur called. "put two extra men on our pubs in Nechells."

"What are you talkin' about Arthur? We're not scared of fuckin' eyeties anymore."

Arthur ignored his brother's comment, standing to his feet. "Don't tell Tommy about the chair and clean this fuckin' shit up." He ordered, ignoring John's following comments as he walked away.

* * *

Her eyes scanned over the parchment she gripped in her hand for what was probably the millionth time. Even after nearly two years, Evie still couldn't grasp the intricacies of business deals and the fine print that came along with it. Her father taught her how to negotiate, how to maneuver her way around deals with other parties so she could get the best possible outcome on her end. He assumed the complexities would be what he would take care of, but now that Evie was in another city, running her own business, it was something she had to learn on her own. She was still attempting to do so. Fine print and detail wasn't something she was used to, nor enjoyed, considering it was Joshua's responsibility to do so as her manager. But nevertheless there she sat, trying to understand every detail.

The document Alfie had written out by his lawyer was simple enough to understand in the areas where she needed to be able to, but she found herself continuously reading over it anyhow. "Alfie, why go to so much detail if this is a simple eye for an eye arrangement?" She asked, resting her elbows on the aging wood beneath. Because of his claims of having sat for most of the day, and his insistence that she shouldn't sit in his 'terrible excuse of a guest seat', it was Evie who sat behind the large desk. Granted she was thankful she didn't have to sit in the chair across from her. It looked to be falling apart.

Her counterpart stood leaned against the large cabinet on the opposite of the room, rubbing his hand along his beard. He bobbed his head. "Well, considerin' my past experiences with purely vocal arrangements I found it'd be best I make all my deals official." He explained, holding his hands up slightly.

Evie sighed, choosing to be passive to his explanation. "I wish Joshua could've come with me. He understands these things better than I ever could." She admitted, glancing back up to see the smirk now appearing across Alfie's face. "But from what I  _can_  understand, you want ten crates to be delivered every month. Right, our workers who deal with storage can handle that. And then along with that, you ask fifty percen—" She paused, scanning over the words once more. "Hold on, only fifty percent of the profit? I'd think you'd want the entirety of it. It's  _your_  whiskey I'm sellin'."

He shrugged. "Consider it an additional benefit for ya well-mannered business."

She hummed, raising her brow at the excuse. "Well, aside from that, if we're going to be planning any further meetings for this 'well-mannered business' we can't continue to do it here. I'm surprised I even got the time to speak with you today. Joshua's caught a fever so I'm managing everything on my own at the moment."

"I take it you enjoyed our talk in the back room, hm?"

"No," She groaned, letting the cluster of papers fall back into his desk. "I mean actual,  _proper_  meetings. Your men aren't going to be doing their work hidden behind curtains or back alleys. They're security. People are going to see them now and again. And if  _I_  am not seen speaking to their boss once and a while people will start asking questions. Questions about the security of my club."

Alfie's brows knitted together. "Your guests can tell when you're makin' deals with a third party?"

"The ones that you warned me about in the first place, yes. Along with some harmless ones Joshua's let me in on during his time spent on the floor." Evie reclined into the large leather chair she had sat on the edge of for many minutes, laying her hands on her stomach. "People in London are more informed, more sneaky even. Camden Town isn't as large of a city so it's easier to keep quiet, but  _London_... there are so many prying eyes. You wouldn't believe how many people we've kicked out on account of it. The guests who don't come from outside of the city know the history of the club, even a few who do sometimes. I've come to know that many regulars know my family name..."

The habit of rubbing his fingers along his beard resumed as he listened to her explanation. Alfie had a hard time believing that some who came to her club knew so much. In fact, he found it to be nosey. If he discovered that bystanders were aware of information he wanted to be kept private, he would've had them beaten in a back alley, or at least scared into keeping their mouths shut.

"...and on top of that, nearly every person I've spoken to knows of my relationship with the Peaky Blinders."

Alfie stiffened, lifting his gaze from the floor to her. "Peaky Blinders?" He questioned. Evie raised her brow once more. "Yes," She answered, although it sounded more like a question. "I haven't parted ways with the Shelby's quite yet if that's what you were hoping."

He nodded his head, beginning to pace. "I see." He muttered.

"Is it that much of a surprise to you?"

"A bit, yeah." He began, continuing to pace around the open area of his office. "After what I found ya in I figured you'd step away from the likes a' them."

Evie turned her gaze to the cabinets to the left of her. "It wasn't their fault, what happened. Tommy could only do so much at once. I can understand how that would slip." She said, sitting up from her reclined position to lean her forearms on the bureau. "Besides, they took me in for a couple years, kept me safe like their own— I feel I owe them."

A scoff escaped his mouth. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean ya 'ave to keep yourself involved with the likes of 'em."

The meaning behind his words didn't go unnoticed, although she chose to ignore it. "Well, it's kind of hard not to when I live with one." She smiled for a moment. "Anyhow, what they do is similar to what I grew up around. It's all I know other than the club." She paused running her fingers over the parchment now spread out before her. "But... they haven't asked anything of me in a while, so I've managed to step back somewhat. I considered doing that for a while, actually."

"Wait, 'old on." He interrupted. "After everythin' you just said, you mean to tell me you were actually tryin' to step away before?"

"I was, yeah... although I'm not so sure I want to now— why are you so interested?" Evie asked, confused by his curiosity.

"Because back then I couldn't help but notice that when it comes to the Shelby's I've seen only bad happen to ya." Alfie explained, crossing his arms across his chest. "You don't seem like the kinda person who would wanna stay around bad, so why are ya still with 'em?"

Evie scoffed, laying her hands flat over the mess of papers. "Because they deserve that much. Besides, who are you to say they're bad? They're no different from you." She paused, leaning back into the chair. "Polly took me in, and they've been nothing but kind to me. I don't see why choosing to do a couple favors for them here an' there would hurt."

"See sweet'eart, that's exactly what I saw two years ago— hurt was exactly what I saw." He argued, coming closer to his desk. "They're not ya kin and yet ya nearly died for them on Darby day. Now don't tell me you weren't scared, I saw 'ow you looked... heard ya too, a little loud you were."

Evie shook her head, turning her gaze away in disbelief. She wasn't sure why they were having this conversation at all, but even so, the need to defend her friends made her continue. "I  _was_  scared Alfie, and I'm thankful you showed up, believe me. But I don't see why you're so concerned about it— What I do with them is no different from what we're doing now."

"See, no no." Alfie shook his head in disagreement. " _We_  are doing legitimate business, not that fuckin' alliance shit that went back an' forth like hell. Granted that was on me but Tommy didn't exactly 'old up his end till it was too late." He rambled, raising his brow. "But unlike them  _gypsies_  who let ya get kidnapped from right under their noses, I will make sure you are safe as our business goes on."

She scoffed. "You're calling them gypsies now? And here I thought you liked Tommy." She muttered, looking down to the document she previously held.

Now it was Alfie's turn to scoff, although this time it sounded different. He was irritated. "No— you wanna know somethin' about 'im, hm? You wanna know somethin' about Thomas fuckin' Shelby?" He prattled, sitting down in the chair across from her despite the poor shape it was in. "That bastard made me fuckin' worry over you. Ever since I brought ya to his brother I fuckin' worried for three fuckin' weeks cos a' whatever the fuck that was along ya neck, until I 'eard that you 'ad come to the Eden with 'is sister."

At first she had opened her mouth to respond to his outburst, but honestly, Evie felt at a loss for words. She looked down to her lap, mulling over the questions that suddenly came into her head. "Alfie, we're barely even friends, if at all, and we were less so back then." She stated, furrowing her brow. "Why would you worry over my well being?"

For a while he was silent, but soon he began to scratch the back of his head. "Well, the savin' you're life bit was more mah brains than anythin'. The other shit, well, if ya find out before I do it would be great of ya to tell me." Alfie paused, standing to his feet while collectings the papers strewn out in between them. "But you owe me a good bit more of the profits you make off my whiskey for raising my stress like that." He added.

Evie sat silently, watching him stuff the parchment together. Granted, she was confused by the whole thing, but a part of her felt grateful. "Thank you," She spoke up, causing him to pause what he was doing, "for worrying."


	12. Chapter 12

"Hello, Ada!"

She had been right in the middle of her work, concentrated on the list she held in her hand until her brother's voice boomed through the library. A chorus of hushes followed suit before she could even turn, although once she did, she realized she was in fact, not imagining things.

"Tommy Shelby in a library." She muttered in disbelief.

"I need to borrow a book on the Russian Revolution."

His following statement echoed just as loudly, causing her to sigh in disapproval as hushes from readers came throughout the library once more. Ada matched her walking pace to her brother's, beating him to the section where she knew what he needed would be.

"Have you got a new wharf at Maida Vale now?" She asked, climbing the rolling ladder left behind by whoever previously used it.

"I own wharves everywhere now."

"I sometimes see our trucks driving past." She mentioned casually, glancing through the rows and rows of books.

"'Our' trucks?" Tommy repeated. She fleetingly looked down towards her brother. "Shelby trucks. Why the interest?" She asked, grabbing one small red book and another much larger, darker one with it.

"I just want to broaden my mind." He shrugged. Ada raised her brow, finding his answer hard to believe. "Well, this is a list of the bastards who ran away," She began, holding the small book in the air, "...and  _this_  is written from the point of view of the people's struggle."

Tommy hummed, reaching out for the smaller one, as she expected. She would never imagine that her brother would want to 'broaden his mind' through the point of view of the people, but still offered it nonetheless.

"There was a Russian at your wedding." She stated, stepping down the ladder. "He wouldn't tell me how come he got invited."

"Well, sometimes exiled Russian aristocrats get invited to social occasions to add a bit of class." Tommy explained, never looking up from the small pages he was flipping through.

"Is that why he was there?"

"Why do you want to know?"

Ada pressed her lips. "He was nice," She admitted, fiddling with the watch on her wrist. "Maybe I'd like to see him again. Would that be possible?"

He shook his head almost immediately. "No, that would not be possible."

Now she was irritated. "What business do you have with the Russians, Tommy?" Ada pressed.

"You sound like Evie." He commented, fixing his gaze on one paragraph in the page he found. "Can I rip this page out?"

" _No_ , you cannot rip that page out. Property of the people." She told him. "Tommy, she practically dragged me away from the Russian when she found me and then a while later I saw Johnny light a fire in the woods."

Tommy closed the book, plopping it onto the tall bureau in front of them. "You want all the details because you're bored, Ada." He pointed, beginning to walk away. "That's why I tell Evie things rather than you."

Ada glared at the rows of books in front of her as he left. "You used to chase rats with the revolver, Ada." He called back, resuming the hushes he received earlier. "I might just have a job for you after all."

* * *

Nearly a week after her meeting with Alfie, she found herself at 'Amelia's' during its closed period. Often times Evie would have the luxury of being able to stay at home til maybe ninety minutes before the club's usual opening hour, although today she had decided to come earlier. Night clubs often opened after dinner and went well into the early hours of the morning. So, if she had to stay so late, she would sleep til almost noon. This particular morning, however, she found herself unable to sleep. Only days ago, Samuel arrived with a plethora of men as Alfie said he would. They easily meshed in with her already present security. Almost a little too easily, actually. She was surprised to see that the Scots whose tempers she knew so well had taken a liking to the additional help. Aside from a few who were more stubborn, of course.

Duncan, one of the older men, was among the more cautious. He was ten years younger than her father, and had been one of the first to make the trip to London. The man was very much like an uncle to her. Her mother was an only child, and her father's sister hadn't bothered to contact him since the beginning of the war. Aside from a letter or two. Duncan was very much a blessing to her, although right now he proved to be more of a pain, insisting she tell some of Alfie's men to go on back to Camden Town.

Actually... he suggested most of them, continuously saying how they were fine on their own. Not only was he incredibly distrustful, but incredibly stubborn. Evie, however, proved to be more so. If reminding him over and over that doing so would be going back on her deal, leaving them less defended against thieving hands, then may she lose her voice because of it.

"Evie! Some Russians 'ere to see you." His voice startled her from her content silence.

She looked down from her usual spot along the railing, spying Duncan walking into the empty club. A slightly agitated sigh escaped her lips as she stood straight, making her way towards the stairs. Once she came to the main floor she furrowed her brow. "Why is a Russian wanting to meet with a Scottish club owner?" She asked, crossing her arms as he approached her.

"You're askin' the wrong man, love. I don't know a thing about Russians. Or their business." He chuckled. "Heard one a' them mention something about the Peaky Blinders before I came out though. I thought that might catch your interest. It's why I'm tellin' you, otherwise we would've pushed them out."

Evie sighed deeply through her nose. "Their business continues to find me, hm?" She joked dryly, pulling the thin evening coat tighter around her body.

"Well, Mr. Sneaky, lead me to them." She said, motioning for him to lead her. "And I thought I told you  _don't_  call me by my first name when we're working."

The older man huffed, shaking his head as they began to walk. "Sorry." He muttered. "Force of habit."

Once they passed under the archway, those Duncan had been speaking of came into her view. The group of men certainly looked out of place, although she could only tell because of her attention to detail. Men who arrived at her club as guests almost always dressed in trousers or tweed suits, and when dressed more formally they would wear light colored sets with either a bowtie or straight tie. The four she saw before her were rather the opposite. The suits they wore were dark, polished pieces— expensive ones at that —with thin neck scarves wrapped under their collars. The way they stood was another giveaway, much like a traveler not so acquainted with where they were.

"Gentlemen." She greeted, causing all four heads to turn in her direction. The men nodded their heads in unison, however, only one stepped away with his hands clasped firmly in front of him.

"Ms. Cardone, I assume? The owner?" He asked.

"Quite." She confirmed as they approached. The man gave her a smile— something that didn't quite reach his eyes —before gently taking her hand to kiss the back of it.

"May I ask why you chose to come at such an hour?" She questioned, clasping her own hands together. "And in such a formal manner I must say." She added, eyeing his attire.

"My name is Vadim Mikhailov, Ms. Cardone." The man introduced. "I am an associate of Arch Grand Duke Leon Petrovich Romanov. We wanted to inquire about your services. His niece, the Grand Duchess, has raved about the musicians who come to play at your establishment and has asked that I deliver her request to you."

"And what would that request be?"

"She has wondered if it would be possible for you to arrange your best to come play at Wilderness House, in Hampton Court."

Evie hummed, raising her brow. "Well, I am sorry to tell you after you came all this way, but there was no need to do so for such a request." She informed with a slight smile. "A simple telephone call would've sufficed."

The man chuckled. "We are quite unaware of how these things work in such a city." He excused. "I hope we haven't caused any bother?"

She shook her head. "It's no trouble at all. Come in, we can discuss the arrangements for the Duchess over drinks."

* * *

He had gone too far. John let his temper get the best of him, and now he was beginning to see the consequences of it. Although, he didn't quite see it as a true consequence, considering all he was expecting to receive was a scolding from his family members, however extreme it may be.

"John, you cut Angel Changretta." Tommy stated. "Even though Arthur told you to apologize. Polly told you to compromise. You chose not to listen to Mr. Apologize or Mrs. Compromise, and now I got an Italian walkin' around my backyard saying he's goin' to kill my brother. So what do we do, John? Do we apologize or do we compromise?"

Silence was what he received, despite the guilt he could see clearly along John's face. Arthur cleared his throat. "It was just somethin' John said as a joke." He attempted to reason.

"Yeah but he's your brother as well, Arthur." Tommy rebutted. The eldest brother nodded. "Yeah, and I don't want to start a war over somethin' John said without meanin' it."

Tommy stared at him blankly. "So should he apologize in Italian or in English?" He asked. "Or should we ask them which fuckin' language they prefer? I'm not clear."

Polly shifted in her chair, placing her hand on Arthur's forearm as she turned back to Tommy. "You said while this business was going on in London, you wanted peace at home."

"And the only way to guarantee peace is by making the prospect of war seem hopeless. If you apologize once, you do it again, and again, and again. Like taking bricks out of the wall of your fuckin' house." Tommy told her, turning to his older brother. "Do you wanna bring the house down, Arthur?"

Arthur shifted away from them in his chair, mumbling in disagreement. "If you're soft on rebellion, it'll grow." Tommy began, pushing his brother to stand frustratedly. "You do the right thing, John. Now we go on the offensive. We take two of the Changretta pubs. We take 'em tonight."

Polly stared at her nephew incredulously. "Oh! Right— for Christ's sake, why?"

"Hey?!"

" _Why_?" She pressed.

"Why? Because we fuckin' can!" Tommy shouted. "Because we fuckin' can, and if we can, we do. And if we lift our heels off their necks now, they'll just come for us. Remember these are the bastards that wanted Danny Whizz-Bang dead." He paused, allowing them time to respond, however, none of them did. "You take the Wrexham, you take the Five Bells. You get them signed over to us by the morning. You make sure the coppers stay away. Don't use the fuckin' phones, alright? There's someone listening."

* * *

She watched as he slid a cigarette tray from his pocket, taking one for himself then offering her the other. Evie declined silently, thanking the barman that brought over her drink to their seats. Despite no one but a few of her employees being present at the time, she had led him back up to the overlook. "You don't drink whiskey, Mr. Mikhailov?" She asked, taking a sip from her glass. The man shook his head, taking a drag of his cigarette before opening his mouth. "I find I do not enjoy the taste. You do not smoke?"

"I'm trying to lessen my smoking, actually." Evie corrected.

"Quite admirable." He began, nodding at her action. "I wish I had such discipline with certain things."

She narrowed her eyes, ignoring his small praise. "You don't seem like the type of man who would deliver such a favor for a Duke's niece." She observed, receiving a shrug.

"I am what you would call the Arch Duke's  _subordinate_." He explained. "I carry out the things he does not have time to do or would rather not do himself. Sometimes that involves mundane tasks for his family."

Evie hummed, swirling the liquid in her glass. "So the  _subordinate_  of the Duke requires three other men to accompany him, hm? Men with guns... in a city who does not know who you are." She paused, catching the slight twitch of his mouth. "I had your men checked as we came up the stairs. A man who is simply reserving an occasion for his superior's niece does not need three armed men to accompany him, even in a city such as London."

Rather than responding, Mikhailov took another drag of his cigarette. "So, what other business did you want to discuss with me, hm?" She questioned. He chuckled almost immediately, lifting a finger in her direction. "You are sharp, I must admit."

Evie smiled blankly, waiting expectantly. He cleared his throat. "I suppose I should not take my time any longer. The other more compelling reason as to why we have come is because the Duke discovered your association with the Peaky Blinders. And he is curious."

"It seems everyone is nowadays." She commented, taking a sip of her drink. "You know there's been a common saying around the people of London for the past few years now. Do you know what it is, Mr. Mikhailov? 'A party is not complete without a gangster for women to fall for'. My guests—especially the women —mention that almost too often, and a little too obviously."

His eyes narrowed. "So, what is it that you have done with the Peaky Blinders, exactly?"

"If you know I'm affiliated with them, then you should know what it is that I've done."

His gaze lingered for a moment, as did the silence that followed her answer. "The Duke has asked me to pass his own request along to you Ms. Cardone. Because of your involvement with the Shelby family, he has requested you join them in their agreement. You would prove to be very helpful and your payment.. would be quite beneficial. All he asks otherwise is that his niece and his colleagues are welcomed into your club for the time we are here."

"I don't believe you heard me correctly, Mr. Mikhailov. I've  _done_  business with the Shelby's, not do. My business with them is no more." She lied easily, placing her glass on the small table in between them. "My club is my only business now. So, if the Duke's niece still wishes to make arrangements for my musicians to play in her home, then we shall discuss that. But that is all we will discuss."

Mikhailov smirked, nodding slightly as he brought his cigarette to his lips again.

"His niece and his colleagues are welcome to come here regardless, but you may tell the Duke that I respectfully decline his offer. I'm no longer involved with such things, nor do I wish to be."

He hummed, turning his gaze to his lap. "I am sorry to hear that, Ms. Cardone. You would have been an incredible help."

"I've known the Blinders long enough to know that they will do their part perfectly well on their own." She assured. "Now, when was the Duchess wanting to have music at Wilderness House?"

"After their business with the Shelby's is done." He answered curtly, putting out his cigarette before standing to his feet. "The date for that is still pending, so I will telephone you once I know."

Evie smiled, standing to her feet as well. "Well then, my men will see you and yours to the door. It was a pleasure to meet with you, Mr. Mikhailov." The man bobbed his head respectfully, departing quickly with Duncan at his heels. Her stare lingered on his back, following the path he took until she could see him no more.

"Kristopher," She called, soon accompanied by a younger man. "Make sure our security outside is especially alert for the next few weeks. I have a feeling these certain Russians will not give up so easily."

* * *

"поторопись. Ну же!" He called out to his men. Vadim was aggravated.

"что это, сэр?" One asked, although he was waved off vigorously. "Speak English! We cannot draw prying ears out in the open." He hissed, grabbing the man by his collar. "You better hope this  _Samuel_  is as good as you claim he is. Otherwise, we will have no leverage."

"Sir, I can assure you he is. He will not fail us." The man replied quietly, despite being gripped by his shirt. Vadmin groaned, pushing him back roughly. "There are more on our side than you realize." He added.

Vadim scoffed. "But there are  _more_  who fear the name, Thomas Shelby. This woman is associated with him, which already means she has an upper hand."

"We have men on the inside, we  _will_  succeed, Vadim. Wait till the right time to strike and we will have this club. We will have Evie Cardone hostage and then what can he do? Nothing but our bidding."

"The man is married, and she is not his blood. I doubt that would guarantee us much." Vadim argued.

His counterpart shook his head. "Not according to Samuel. He says they have known each other for many years. He trusts her. You have already convinced her you are working for the Duke, that is half the battle. Keep her believing so, and we will not fail when the time comes."

Vadim stayed silent, mulling over the thoughts that made his head spin. He grunted, opening the car door in frustration. "I'm waiting for that time, for it will be the moment we avenge Anton Kaledin. Thomas Shelby will regret the day he ever agreed to kill him."


	13. Chapter 13

The chime of the telephone had been muffled for some time until the sound caught her ear. When it finally came to her attention, however, Evie wished she had never answered.

_"Polly, slow down— what are you goin' on about?"_

_"I know, Evie." She heard the older woman's stern tone as clear as day through the telephone, a tone that set fear into her niece and nephews._

_"You know what?"_

_"I know about the arrangement you made with Solomons— and don't lie. I know when you are, even over the phone."_

" _How-" She breathed. Evie felt a lump form in her throat, taking the receiver away from her ear._ _Needless to say, what was said made her heart jump, but she took a deep breath to keep herself from stuttering. She wasn't an idiot. She knew there was no sense in arguing with Polly once she knew the truth, but with her, silence was worse than talking back._

_"How in hell did you find out?" Evie asked, truly dumbfounded as to how Polly could possibly gather that information. She could practically see the older woman smirking on the other end once she heard her scoff._ _"Ada spilled. Incidentally of course, but nonetheless she let it slip."_

_Evie pounded the base of the phone onto the wood. "Ada." She muttered through her teeth._

_"I heard that." Polly's voice rang through. "We'll talk about this later when I get there."_

_Without uttering another word, or giving Evie a chance to respond, the line went dead. She huffed deeply through her nose, gripping the receiver until she frustratedly hung it back onto the telephone._

It was now half past noon, which meant Ada would be home any minute. Maybe half an hour before Polly's unexpected ring had she called to let Evie know she would be at the library for only the morning. It worked out perfectly, actually, because Polly was driving up to London that afternoon to try on her dress for the charity dinner. The piece needed altering and the only tailor she knew was one who Evie had become acquaintances with after many ripped hems of her dresses. Although Evie failed to see anything perfect about this day now. Her foot bobbed in a silent rhythm for what seemed like hours, only stopping once she heard keys and the front door open with a creak.

"I'm back!"

The familiar toddle of Karl's feet nearly blocked out Ada's voice, until he greeted her himself and the sweet exchange between mother and son began. Evie never moved from her seat in the drawing room, on the couch, with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. Karl had already attempted to pry into what made her face look so angry and after her curt response he made it his priority to avoid her until 'the scary face went away'. She didn't mean to give him such a scare, but she felt annoyed beyond belief and growingly anxious as the minutes passed.

It wasn't long before Ada appeared from behind the large door with a content smile and short greeting, although that smile and delighted tone soon faded as she shed her coat. Evie's foul expression didn't go unnoticed. "What's wrong?"

"Polly knows." Evie stated.

Ada's brow creased. "Knows what?"

"Polly.  _Knows_." She repeated, standing to her feet to meet her friend on the other side of the room. "Ada, she said you told her about my deal with Alfie— what the hell happened?!"

Her sudden confrontation left Ada with a dropped jaw. "Oh God, I was hopin' we wouldn't come to that." She faltered, the guilt clear on her face as she moved to one of the plush chairs. Evie groaned. "Ada why would you do that?" She dragged, watching her friends back as she sat.

"I don't know," Ada admitted in the same distressed tone, craning her head to look over at her. "She was curious about the club an' when I mentioned the extra security by accident she got even more curious and it... somehow slipped out. You know her, once she catches onto something there's no way we're gettin' out of it."

"Wel—"

Before she could make Ada feel even more guilt, and relay what she would more than likely be experiencing later, a knock on the door interrupted them. They didn't have to wait to hear a voice to know who was outside. Ada exchanged a nervous look with her before going back into the hall to answer. As expected, Evie soon heard Polly's voice accompany Ada's, and it wasn't long before she appeared in the doorway with her niece behind her. Polly looked at her knowingly as she folded her coat over her arm. "Upstairs with me. C'mon." She all but ordered, leaving Ada to stand in the hallway with a nervous demeanor.

The look that Polly gave was one any of the Shelby's would recognize and cower at— or at least be wary of. Polly was always softer with the girls, but it was that same look nonetheless. Evie followed her up to the second level, almost like a child who was waiting to be scolded. In fact, that was almost exactly what she expected was going to happen.

Once they reached the stairs Evie took the lead, guiding her into the room where she left the frock after bringing it home from the tailors. Polly immediately went to the open wardrobe where it hung, admiring the baby pink fabric for a moment while her counterpart took the time to close the door slightly and take a seat.

"So," She stated, tossing her coat on the bed before lifting the dress from its place on the wardrobe. "When were you going to tell us you were doing you're own business with Solomons?"

Evie hesitated, rubbing her fingers along her temple. "Oh wait, what am I talking about," Polly added, letting the piece drape over her forearm. "You were never going to tell us. Were you?"

Her quick interruption made Evie drag out a sigh. "No," She admitted quietly, sitting up from her reclined position. "But Polly I don't understand why I should have to run everything by one of you. The club isn't some property I share with Arthur or Tommy, it's mine.  _I_  own it. The decisions I make shouldn't concern you. I didn't think you would want it to."

Polly, against her assumptions, chuckled at her response. "Sweetheart we're all aware it's your club, and it's your business what you decide to do to keep that club." She assured her, disappearing behind the dressing screen in the corner of the room. "But you promised while you were in London you would keep us informed about anything goin' on that could involve us. That's what you told me over the phone after Tommy found the both of you."

"I know Pol," She replied, feeling as if she was repeating that phrase for the millionth time in the past few years. "But that's just it. It doesn't involve you. It's not Blinder business."

"The minute you agreed to a deal with that man, it became Blinder business."

"I really don't think it did." Evie argued calmly.

She could practically see Polly's eye roll, only to be met with an equally cross look once she appeared from behind the screen, now adjusting the gown she wore. That look, however, faded once Polly saw Evie's self-assured expression. "You really don't realize it do you?" She asked, but all Evie did in return was furrow her brow. "Evie, your name has been connected with ours ever since you came to Birmingham. Half the time people would call you 'Blinder girl' when they saw you on the streets."

"What does that have to do with my deal with Solomons?" Evie interrupted.

"It has to do with  _his_  past business with Thomas. He betrayed him, therefore he betrayed you. You're not a third party Evie, you're with us." Polly said a-matter-of-factly. "Or did you forget what he did to Arthur?"

She remembered perfectly well what happened to Arthur. In fact, it was one of the points she thought over the most before agreeing to go along with Alfie's offer. It was tough to forget, yes, but she needed the extra protection. And while she wouldn't mention it to Polly, Alfie was the one who gave her the keys. With that, and what he did for her on Darby day, she saw their deal as a debt she owed.

"Striking a deal with him makes others think that we chose a side again. Others like  _Sabini_. They'll think the Blinders are back on good terms with Solomons—  _which_  we're not, despite the facade Tommy's been parading around. That's only to keep mouths shut and more blood from spilling..." She paused. "His facade won't continue to work if the wrong people find out you're working with Solomons."

The hard stare that was directed towards her made Evie turn her gaze away.

"What if Sabini finds out you've been visiting Camden Town? Hm? He could send men after you and use that against us. D'you ever stop to think about that? Or the possibility that  _Solomon's_  could be using you for his own personal vendetta?" Polly questioned with a raised brow. "Your deal was a simple exchange, I can see why you wouldn't think much of it... but he could use it to get to us— he could harm you, lock you away. All to make us do something for him that we wouldn't do otherwise."

"Polly I understand what you're saying but you're overthinking this way too much—"

"He's  _dangerous_ , Evie. Dangerous to you."

"They're all dangerous, Pol!" Evie argued harshly, glaring at the older woman. She had heard more than enough about 'danger' over the past few years and was growing tired of the scolding. "That's all our lives are is dangerous— all we meet are dangerous people whether they're on our side or not. If you call out Alfie for being that way but not your nephews then what do you think they are— a band of rowdy schoolboys?"

"Please," Polly scoffed, taking a cigarette from the bag she tossed on the bed, along with a lighter.

Evie shook her head. "I know why you're upset that I didn't tell you but I can't see why you would make such a fuss. He's exactly like them."

Polly stared down at her for a moment, taking a drag of her cigarette before picking up the skirt of her dress. "That's exactly why I fuss, Evie. Because he  _is_  exactly like them." She explained sternly, coming over to sit on the bed in front of her. "I want you to be safe. I don't worry over Ada like this because I know where her interests are, and they have nothing to do with her family's dirty business. Yours, however,  _yours_ are and I know you enjoy it. Having something of a silver tongue and a father who indulges in the same things isn't enough to keep your hide protected. You have to be smarter."

Evie broke her gaze, looking over to the window across from her as she fiddled with her hands in her lap.

"I'm gonna say this once." Polly continued, moving from her place on the bed to find an ashtray. "Whether you like it or not, you're stuck with us. You lived with me for long enough to have the Shelby name branded onto your backside. It's both something that keeps you safe and something that puts you in harm's way." She paused, dropping her cigarette in the glass receptacle she found on the nightstand. "And because you wanted to live somewhere where you weren't in the middle of everything, but don't want to separate from us and the business that we do, I expect you to compromise."

"Which means?"

"Which means you tell us things. I didn't worry when you were in Birmingham because you were with us... but you're not in Birmingham anymore and that makes you vulnerable; which means  _no_  secrets. Your personal life is your own, your business is your business, but you keep us informed on the  _important_  things. Things that could affect your safety." She paused, allowing Evie enough time to nod. "Like making deals with our ex-business partners."

Evie pursed her lips, giving Polly a knowing look, although all the older woman did was raise her brow. She huffed through her nose, placing her hands on her knees as she sat up. "I'm not going to break off our deal. I need the extra protection with all the attention the club is getting." She stated. Polly never moved to argue. "But I  _will_  keep you informed from now on, alright?" She bargained.

Polly stayed silent, seeming to mule over her offer. Eventually, she nodded. "Alright."

" _Only_  you though, Pol." Evie pointed, although all Polly did was hum in response. "For the love of God, please don't tell them." Evie pleaded. "Or if you have to tell them, leave Arthur out. I have no doubt he'll string the man up by his toes and then come back to give me an earful."

"He would." She agreed, but despite her choice of words, Polly's expression softened. "But only cos he cares about you." She conveyed. "They all do. They're too bloody proud to tell you but I'm not."

Evie couldn't help but smirk, imagining how John would look if he tried being sentimental and caring to anyone but his kids. Arthur was easier to picture now that Linda was around, but Tommy and John? She couldn't even imagine it.

"I want you to know something, Evie." Polly began, gaining her full attention once the cigarette in her hand was put out in the ashtray. "When those boys came back from the war, you managed to make them feel happy when Ada and I couldn't. You barely knew them, you weren't asked to, and yet you were determined to bring a little hope back to their faces because you knew what they went through was terrible. Even if it was just a hint of a smile, you were satisfied because you knew that for a moment you helped... that's something I'm forever indebted to you for. Which is why I will never stop trying to protect you as I do with them. No matter how ridiculous you may think my reasons are."

A small smile tugged at her lips. Polly had always held herself as the protector of her family, despite Tommy's protests, and that protectiveness never excluded Evie when she suddenly came into the picture. She was aware that Polly's friendship with her mother ended badly, but how bad exactly, that she never knew. This was why, at first, she wasn't sure why Polly went out of her way to act as if Evie was apart of the family. Perhaps, she thought, Polly saw it as repayment. The sadness that showed in her eyes and made the corners of her mouth twitch down didn't go unnoticed when Evie first asked her the burning question many years ago. To end on a bad note, then find out Elizabeth had been killed? Evie could completely understand why Polly would feel some sense of guilt, even if she didn't admit it. She supposed she would never truly find out what had caused them to part ways, but she didn't need to. Polly wanted to remedy it, and she did.

Evie narrowed her eyes, thinking back to those moments when she tried brightening the brother's moods. She couldn't remember why she had tried to do such a thing so soon after they came home. Maybe it was just in her nature. Even now, that urge to help would tug at her heart. The only difference was that she knew when and when not to do so. Evie couldn't deny that she enjoyed helping people in any way she could, even if that meant helping an old man carry a trunk through the rain and muddy streets after it proved to be too heavy for him to carry. Arthur had laughed once he was told the story behind her ruined shoes, but she was never phased. It made her happy to know she made someone's day better.

"I must've looked silly." She thought out loud, watching as Polly stood to look for the gloves which accompanied her gown. "A Scot they knew nothing about trying to cheer them up."

Polly looked over to her, messing with the gloves that were now squished between her hands. "I think they found it rather endearing, actually."

* * *

"Is he afraid?"

The man shook his head, letting the light that peered down onto them through cracks illuminate different sides of his face as he moved.

He stood in apparent contrast to the light above, dressed in all black, all the way from his polished shoes up to the fedora on his head. Like the devil had invaded the heavens, almost. The jailhouse, however, resembled nothing short of a trap, a suffocating confinement made of brick. But with those it now contained, to him, it was like entering a paradise.

A hint of a smile played on his lips as the door opened before him, and once he saw the one he expected to see, the expression nearly etched into his features. In this moment, Father Hughes had the upper hand, and he would relish in it. The Doberman held closely to his side followed him faithfully into the cell, remaining the Blinder's center of attention.

"Sit." The dog did as heard as he removed his hat. "I'm talking to you, Mr. Shelby." He corrected. Choosing to finally acknowledge him, Tommy huffed, sitting down on the bench behind him.

"So, the Oddfellows want you to know that any deviation from your instructions will have consequences." He addressed. "You visited your sister."

Despite the obvious fact that he was speaking to him, Tommy's gaze stayed on the dog in front of him. "What's your dog's name?"

"Your sister is a potential security breach. She has connections with the Bolsheviks in London who have connections with the Soviet Embassy." He continued, ignoring the irrelevant questions that followed. "Understand this. You have the local police in your pocket. We have Scotland Yard."

"Ya know," Tommy nearly interrupted, lifting a finger towards his company. "I find it interesting that you haven't mentioned Anthony Cardone. He has a great hold on the Scottish police. Now you say  _you_ have Scotland Yard in your pocket. Yet, his daughter tells me he is alive and well."

"Unlike you, Mr. Shelby I do not need to draw blood to strengthen my influence." Hughes almost spat out his words. "Mr. Cardone grows weaker by the day, as does his hold on the law. His absence from the church and amount of unforgiving acts only push him to spiral into downfall. Something he deserves, I would say."

Tommy smirked. "If I didn't know better, I'd say your words come from a personal perspective."

"We all have our enemies, Mr. Shelby." He proclaimed calmly, the same pompous, unwavering expression still etched onto his face. "Those apart of Scotland Yard who favor him are small. The masses will do what I tell them, just as surely as this dog."

Tommy looked to him challengingly. "Let him off the leash."

"Are you hearing me Mr. Shelby?"

"I can charm dogs. Gypsy witchcraft." He stated. "And those who I can't charm, I kill with my own hands. You learn it when you have a dog on the boat. They go fucking mad in tunnels. I feel like I'm in a tunnel now. Ya know that feeling when you have to kill or be killed."

Hughes gripped at the strap of leather he held in his gloved hand, not uttering a word.

"Let the dog off the leash." Tommy continued. "Give the order you give in Gaelic. Like I'm told you do when someone displeases you, when someone reports you."

His words were disregarded. "Visit your sister again and she will die crossing the road." Hughes warned. "I know Anthony's daughter lives with her. Perhaps even, if you try visiting Ms. Cardone, I will do the same. Call it calling two birds with one stone."

"Maraigh!" Tommy called, suddenly standing to his feet. The dog growled, although never moved. He looked up to Hughes. "C'mon, you say it."

Silence. Tommy raised his hands, silently proving his point. "If you wanted me dead I'd be dead, wouldn't I?"

"It's true," Hughes admitted. "It's true, we do need you alive. But when you go home today, Mr. Shelby, be sure to check under your little boy's pillow. The tooth fairy has been. We can reach anyone. Anywhere."

Something suddenly shifted in him. The smirk that once graced his face was now replaced with a scowl. An increasingly angry, caught off guard feeling that made him nearly bolt out of the cell once the door opened.

He raced out of the building, into his car, soon pulling up to the drive with a screeching halt. Once Tommy reached his son's room he headed straight to the crib. While attempting to not wake Charles, he searched. He searched under the pillow for something, anything that would explain Hughes words. That was when he felt it. A small card was pulled from underneath which read 'The Co-Operative Crematorium'. He turned it over in his hand, holding up the other side under the moonlight peering through his son's window.

On the back of the card were the words 'Charles Shelby R.I.P'. It tied a knot in his stomach, made him feel bile form in his mouth. They hadn't harmed his son, but they got close enough to slip a warning under his pillow. Tommy was careful not to let his enemies intimidate him, or let them see the effect they had, if any at all. Now, however, his enemy was in arm's length of his family. All they had to do was reach out, and it set a fear in him like he couldn't explain. But the anger it made him feel was greater.

* * *

Sometimes it felt like a prison. A lavish, loud, luxurious prison that she couldn't escape whether she wanted to or not. The endless conversations, the swarm of bodies, the voices that blared over the music when it was the time for a lively piece. All of it contributed to the negatives to owning a place meant for socializing. Or at least  _her_  negatives. There were nights when it resembled the beginning of a nightmare, yes, but it wasn't always.

Other times she would feel she was back in Stirling, watching the masses fill her mother's club to praise her for the community she created, the relationships established all because the business she created attracted so many different people. There were nights when guests would simply sit,  _listen_ , and concede to mutters when they would want to talk. The music would be slow, soothing, and it would entrance them. Couples who danced would be swayed as if their feet were being carried by the sounds.

That's exactly what she watched happen now. A girl named Maria sang the same slow melody as she had done the night before, capturing the attention of every man and woman listening. Evie remembered when the short, redheaded, wide-eyed woman had shown up to the club unannounced— during closing hours —begging to be given a chance. She needed the work, she needed the money, and she wanted to sing. In fact, she was bold enough to stand on a chair and showcase her voice for Evie and Joshua on that day she strode in. It had been about two weeks ago, but Evie never regretted one day after. Her voice was gorgeous.

Once the song drew to a smooth close, audience members began to clap in unison with a whistle or two following behind. Maria tilted her head in thanks to those she saw in the crowds, and once done, turned to look up to Evie, bowing her head in her direction. Evie mimicked this movement in response, knowing that was her silent show of gratitude. The young singer stepped off the stage for a moment, allowing the band to play something instrumental so she could give her voice a break. Although now, with the absence of her voice, came many new chattering ones among the soft play of the instruments. "She's a catch."

Evie craned her neck, spying Joshua leaning against the bar with a glass in his hand. The overlook was closed off tonight for her and her alone. Any of her supposed important guests had never shown that night, therefore Evie decided to grant herself some much-wanted space. His words made her smirk. "Glad I convinced you, hm?"

Joshua faltered under her stare. "That's not what I meant." He smiled, placing the empty glass that occupied his hand back onto the bar before moving behind the front. Evie raised her brow, watching as he scanned the different bottles of alcohol. "I just mean you have a knack for choosing talented performers."

"Hey, boss!" Before she could begin to tease her manager, however, Duncan called her attention away. He looked over to her from his position on the stairs, bobbing his head in the direction of the entrance. "I think Solomons just walked in here."

Evie knitted her brow the minute she heard the name, turning to Joshua in hopes of resolving her confusion, although he looked just as perplexed by Duncan's words. She moved from the edge of the overlook, coming to stand next to the older man at the top of the stairs. Her eyes scanned the crowd for a few seconds, but she couldn't match any figure she saw to that of the Jewish crime boss. Then again, the multi-colored cluster of people was enough to make anyone's head spin.

She felt a nudge at her side. "There." Duncan muttered, pointing his stare to the right of the entrance; their left. Once she allowed her eyes to focus on one area, Evie spotted Ollie almost immediately, although that only made her even more curious. She wasn't aware he had come back. Nor was she aware that his boss had a taste for scarves. While his hat was tipped down, she could clearly spy Alfie right next to him, as well as the small white scarf that hung around his neck. Duncan tensed. "They're comin' over."

"Yes, I can see that." She deadpanned, adjusting the long wrap that hung from her shoulders. Evie was always agitated by his anxiousness. She couldn't remember a time when he wasn't a precautious person, but she never seemed to get used to it. But right now she knew this wasn't because of that. Despite having never met him face to face, Duncan hadn't taken a liking to Alfie— not for one minute —and he wasn't good at hiding it. Her feet began to carry her down, although she stopped after the first few steps, leaning her weight on the railing. As they came closer she could hear Duncan mutter. In a second, she saw him begin to come down the stairs himself— to stand in front of her no doubt —but Evie raised her finger in his direction before he could. " _You_  stay put." She mumbled, turning back around once the two came near the bottom of the stairs.

"I didn't expect to ever see you again," She smirked, directing her words towards Ollie, "nevermind in my club."

He tipped down the flat cap atop his head toward her before removing it. "It's good to see you too, Ms. Cardone." He smiled.

"I've told you, Ollie, call me Evie." She huffed, descending down the remaining stairs. Alfie chuckled. "See Ollie, she doesn't like bein' called 'Ms. Cardone' any more than I like bein' called 'Mr. Solomons'."

"What are you doing here?" Evie asked, crossing her arms. "I thought you said these kinds of situations weren't your cup of tea."

"Oh no I still hate 'em, yeah. N'fact if we could go over there I could fuckin' bare it a little better..." He paused, gesturing to the far left of the large room. A seating area which had been abandoned. Evie followed suit to his request. "...and, you told  _me_ that if you weren't seen conversin' with your partners that guests would ask questions, right? Get nosey."

She nodded. "Well," Alfie bobbed his head, "Here I am, holdin' up my end."

Evie hummed, keeping her gaze on the people they passed as they walked along the edge of the crowds. She tried to make sense of what she heard, but it only made her smile in amusement. "Alfie Solomons in a club— that's a hard sight to grasp." She laughed.

"Well, it's easier to imagine than me ownin' one." He pointed out. Evie furrowed her brow, turning her gaze away to wave over a barman. "Oh c'mon, it can't be that impossible." She prodded. "I dislike the crowds as much as you do but I think you could be excellent at it."

Before he could argue any further, the barman walked over with a bottle and glass in hand as they approached. She thanked him, taking both items from his grasp. Evie turned back to Alfie, displaying the bottle in her hands. "As you requested." She told him. "Up front where it can be seen by the masses."

He smirked. "Is it doin' well?"

Evie nodded. " _Quite_  well." She said, settling for placing the bottle in a chair because of the lack of tables near them. The setting around them was covered by another set of stairs. A set which led to whatever sat above the club. Evie had wondered what lied up there, and for a moment explored, but found the door she saw at the top was locked. It had been ever since she was given keys to the building.

By then she could hear Maria begin to sing once more. Evie hadn't even noticed when she returned, but she did notice the quieter, hushed voices of the people in front of from them. As well as Joshua in the overlook above, or rather the way he looked down at her as she sang. Evie smirked. "That's Maria," She pointed her head toward the other woman. "She practically sang her way into the job and 's been doubling my guests ever since..." She paused with a huff, crossing her arms once more, "...although she's distracting my manager a little too much. He's turning into a right bampot."

Evie eyed Joshua from below until he eventually caught her annoyed— and Alfie's amused —stare, disappearing back to the bar no doubt.

"Bampot," Alfie repeated with a chuckle. "Ya know sometimes I forget you're a Scot because you're around those Brummies so much. You act like 'em more than you act like any Scot I've ever seen in my lifetime."

Evie arched a brow, looking back over to him. "I think that's good though," Alfie continued, nodding curtly. "Tommy rubs me the wrong way, that's for fuckin' sure, but them Shelbys are as tough as nails. I can see where 'e's influenced you and it ain't anywhere that bad."

"Glad I have your seal of approval." The sarcasm in her voice was obvious, although Alfie shook his head. "Nah, you never needed that. Believe me. You didn't need my approval to turn this place into a success either... I knew you could do it."

"Since when?"

"Since ya told me you would cut me if I ever singled you out again."

"You haven't done it since." She laughed.

"Yeah..." Alfie paused for a moment, looking down to the floor. "I should be leavin' now. I just came 'ere to see how Samuel was treatin' ya and these crowds are fuckin' gettin' to me."

She nodded stepping out of his way despite the fact that Alfie never moved.

"I meant what I said, by the way. I do." He added. "You're a brave one for stickin' around people like us. Nearly gettin' yourself killed an' all that yet you still come back."

Evie smiled, turning her gaze away. "Well, it's all I really know... being the daughter of one and all. I don't intend on giving it up so... I guess I have no choice but to put up with you lot while I'm here."

She had heard him chuckle, but afterwards, her attention was taken by Maria's voice. Evie always found herself easily drawn into music. It was something she often used for coping. But now, she was simply distracted so much that she hadn't noticed Alfie was still standing next to her, nor the peck he gave her on her cheek. By the time she willed herself to look back over, he was gone. As were her words. Although if that was the consequence for what just happened  _So be it_ , she thought. She wasn't angered by what he did. In fact, she felt a warm feeling rise up in her chest. She was quite delighted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "bampot" is Scottish slang for idiot.


	14. Chapter 14

_December 12th, 1918:_

. . .

"Evie, wake up love!"

A sudden and rather loud voice nearly startled her out of her half asleep state. She grumbled, burying her head deeper into the blanket she curled up with in hopes that it would make the noise stop. Despite the tangled, messy looking state of the large blanket on top of her and the pillows under her, the comforter sat neatly folded on the other side of the bed. Evie never slept under the covers, not once since she was a toddler. Blankets were the only thing she could rest comfortably under simply because she could tuck the end under her feet. This was all because of a childhood fear she had of monsters coming to snatch her by her feet if they were left out in the open. Of course, she didn't believe that anymore, but the habit still stuck.

"Evie!"

She grumbled again, this time pulling the blanket over her head. Now sharp, noisy footsteps could be heard climbing their way closer to her ears. Evie mustered something of a whine. "Please make it stop." She mumbled into the pillow.

"Evangeline don't make me drag you out by your feet." Came Polly's voice from the doorway. Evie's eyes snapped open, and she was soon tossing the blanket away from her face.

" _Bloody_ hell did my mother's spirit possess you?" She muttered, sluggishly and uneasily pushing herself up into a sitting position. "How do you know my full name?"

Polly smirked, taking in the younger girl's disoriented form as she came into the room. "It was in the letter your father snuck in with your things when you first came here. Thought I'd need to use it eventually."

Evie huffed. "Of course he would think that." She grumbled, desperately wanting to snug back into her pillows.

"If you know me at all you'll know I don't care how old you are. I'll still use it." Polly added. Another set of footsteps soon made themselves known on the stairs, trudging loudly until Ada appeared in the doorframe. She giggled at the disheveled state of her friend. "Good morning."

"Shut up." Evie mumbled.

Ada hummed, not at all affected by her harshness. "I see that fever is gone now." She observed.

"Quite." Polly nodded, moving to the wardrobe to the left of her. "Now c'mon get up," She ordered, searching through Evie's clothes. "You missed the boys coming home a few days ago and now that you're better, they'll want to meet you."

Ada laughed. "Oh sure, introduce her to them right after she wakes up— that'll be a nice first impression."

Evie glared in the brunette's direction, but furrowed her brow at Polly's remark. "Why didn't you tell me they had before now?" She yawned.

"Love, you were out of it and slept for nearly three days straight. I could've told you a hundred times and you wouldn't remember one bit."

Evie breathed out a laugh. "It's probably better that I  _was_ asleep." She muttered, gently kicking the blanket off of her body. "I'm a terrible patient."

Polly never responded, but soon moved away from the wardrobe laying out a casual, olive green dress along with a cream-colored sweater. Evie mouthed a 'thank you' before taking the garments.

"I'll be downstairs making breakfast." Polly announced, directing her gaze towards Ada. "Let's hope at least one of your brothers are awake at this hour." She told her, soon disappearing from the room with Ada trailing behind.

As she was alone once more, Evie felt compelled to collapse back onto the mess of pillows, but she knew that would only result in Polly owning up to her harmless threat and actually drag her out by her feet. So, she forced herself to stay awake. She eventually stood from the bed, disappeared behind the dressing screen, and switched her nightgown for the loose dress and sweater. Although once she managed to fix her tousled hair, Evie knew if she was going to do anything at all today, she would need food first, and her stomach wasn't ashamed to make itself known with a loud grumble.

Soon she found herself toddling down the stairs barefoot while attempting to pin down the extra pieces of hair she always had pulled back no matter the hairstyle. The rest of her brown hair was left alone, loose and wavy, just barely brushing her shoulder blades. Once she came into the kitchen she was greeted with a very warm cup of tea, and it wasn't long before Polly presented the three of them with a large breakfast. Although it wasn't large enough to keep them from devouring every bit. Ada disappeared almost immediately after she cleaned her plate, claiming she was too impatient for her brother's to decide to make an appearance. It was already nearing half past nine and she was confident they would be awake already.

Just as Polly began to take their cups from the table the side door slammed open, nearly making her drop the two pieces of china in her hands. Evie slightly jumped in her seat, jerking her head towards the hallway. "Pol, you up yet?" A man bellowed as footsteps pounded closer to them. Once the owner of the deep voice came into view, Evie felt a smile twitch at the corners of her mouth. His confident stride faded almost immediately after he saw her from the hall. "Shit ah..." He stuttered. "Sorry love, did I get the wrong house?"

On impulse, Evie looked to the older woman who was hidden by the wall in front of her, but she was only met with a smirk. "It's alright Arthur, you didn't charge into a strangers home." Polly assured, setting the tea cups down before another noise could startle them out of her hands.

The man who she now knew as Arthur caught another glance her way before peaking around the corner to see his aunt. Evie automatically knew who he was once Polly spoke his name. Arthur Shelby, the eldest of the three brothers she heard many stories of over the last months. The boyish smile that now graced his face, despite not being directed her way, made her feel comfortable, soon causing her to smile herself. "Where's your brother?" Polly asked, placing one hand on the counter the other on her hip.

Arthur scratched the back of his head. "Ah well, we kinda parted ways at the Garrison last night. He was still there when I left but I don't know where he went." He admitted, coming into the kitchen further.

A frustrated sigh escaped his aunts lips. "Well let's hope your sister can find him. I wanted both of you to meet Evie at the same time but I guess that won't be happenin'."

At the mention of her name, Arthur looked over to Evie in realization. "So your the Evie our aunt's been been chattin' about since yesterday mornin', huh?" He smiled at her warmly as he took a seat from across the table. Evie returned the smile with a smirk. "I suppose I am?" She asked more than stated, looking over to Polly. "You've been talking about me?"

"She mentioned ya in a few of the letters we got over in France so we'd know what to expect, but she never told us what you were like or anythin'." Arthur answered for her, pausing to chuckle. "I never heard the woman talk so nicely about a kid that wasn't hers."

Polly scoffed at him in annoyance but couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face, making Evie smile again as well. There was something infectious about Arthur's grin that she couldn't place, but she didn't complain. It was a nice contrast to most of what she had seen and felt. Dark and gloomy streets, lonely, grieving people. Evie hadn't expected for him to appear so cheery considering what they had just come back from. Then again she hadn't considered the earlier mention of the Garrison and the alcohol they drank the night before, along with Polly's talk of the boys' tendency to joke to avoid things they'd rather not speak of.

Evie shifted in her seat, suddenly realizing that Polly would've had to include other less positive topics in her talks. "So I guess you already know everything you need to know about me?" She asked him, feeling her smile drop back into a straight line.

Arthur pressed his lips in a thin line, nodding his head. "Yeah," He muttered, now feeling awkward among his company. "I don't see no reason why you can't continue to stay 'ere." He offered, attempting to lighten the subject. "I didn't know your dad that well but I remember 'im being real respectful and kind to us. He was one of the few that was. I think it's the least we can do to keep an eye on ya."

A hint of that same grin twitched back onto his face as he uttered the last sentence. Polly smiled, leaning her cheek on her fingers. "Good." She looked to her nephew in approval. "I would've made you anyway- but knowing that, now I can breathe a little easier."

"But I think we should wait to officially say it's okay when Tommy gets back, Pol." Arthur added, keeping his gaze on the table in-between them all. "When we got your letters he wasn't with us."

"Yes, I know. That's why I sent two of the same letter."

"Yeah, but we don't know if he agrees with this or not. It should be a family vote since we're gonna be seein' Evie around a good bit. She might be 'ere for some things that were for our eyes and ears only before." He explained, although Polly didn't utter a word, rather sit in thought.

"I think that's fair." Evie spoke up. "I did come knocking at your door rather abruptly, Polly... and even though I've been here with you and Ada for almost a year now, they haven't been here for any of that time. They should get a say."

Polly hummed, eventually nodding in agreement. "What about John? He never mentioned anything about it yesterday."

Arthur chuckled. "Oh, he's fine with it. He's been fine ever since you started talking about 'er when we got off the train."

Evie's eyes narrowed. "Should I be worried about that?" She looked to Arthur questionably but he was quick to shake her head. "Don't worry, I warned him before he could even think about that."

Polly could all but keep herself from rolling her eyes. "So we'll discuss this when Tommy gets back, then?"

"Yeah," Arthur nodded. "It should only be a day or two from now."

* * *

When Ada had returned, she came back alone and perturbed. One, because she wasted her time looking for Arthur when he was already there, but also because she couldn't find John anywhere. Her eldest brother suggested that he might still be at the Garrison, passed out or snoring no doubt, but Ada felt too lazy to try looking again. Later on in the day, however, Evie found herself going to the very place with Ada trailing off behind her. Arthur's mention of John never left their sisters mind and now she was dragging Evie along to hunt him down.

As she entered she took notice of the lack of people inside. The Garrison was normally idle at this time anyhow, apart from the few drunken men attempting to sober up before they returned to their homes. It wasn't something she often saw in Stirling, but after coming here so many times with Polly, Evie grew used to the sight.

Once she confirmed to herself that the snug was empty, Evie walked past towards the bar. "Hello Harry." She smiled at the older man. He smiled in return. "Miss Evie, how's this mornin' treatin' ya?"

"Quite alright, I guess. I finally got rid of that fever." She answered, folding her hands on the bar-top. "I met Arthur earlier."

Harry looked up from the pair of glasses he was cleaning, letting a small chuckle escape his mouth. "An' how was your first impression of the eldest Shelby man, eh? He give you any trouble?"

"No." She laughed. "Ada and I are looking for John, though. Have you seen him anywhere?"

Another chuckle escaped his mouth, although this time he sounded more humored. "Seen 'im? He never left the Garrison after practically drinking his body weight last night." Harry paused, kneeling behind the bar to put the glasses away. "He passed out in the back office but I just let 'im stay there til he wakes up."

"He's still asleep?" Evie laughed, receiving another nod once Harry stood back up. A sigh escaped her lips as she made their way to the back of the Garrison. Evie trailed around the back, only stopping in her tracks to giggle once she found who she was looking for. Exactly as Harry has claimed, John was passed out in the office, laid strawn out in a chair with his mouth hung open. Although when she began to laugh, he also began to stir. John eventually came into consciousness, enough to catch himself before he could fall to the ground, but not enough to recognize the people in front of him.

"You alright over there?" Evie asked, catching his attention.

John rubbed his eyes, leaning back against the chair he'd been asleep in all night. "Who's askin'?"

"Evie," He looked up as she paused, finally taking in the sight of his company. John felt his jaw slightly drop. "Oh the ah," He began to mutter. "You're the one—"

"The one staying with your aunt?" She interrupted. "Yeah."

Her words left him silent, to rub his hands along his face because he didn't know what else to do. Noticing this, Evie let a smile come across her face. "Don't worry I'm not gonna go running to 'er about this." She assured, crossing her arms over her chest. "Your sister's been looking for you."

An amused huff escaped his mouth. "Yeah, she always has been." He began, pausing to yield to a yawn he felt coming. "She's been at our fuckin' heels since she could walk." He chuckled. John moved to stand, leaning forward before he could get to his feet. As he did this, however, something fell from his pocket. It rolled away from him, stopping at her feet, and once it stopped she could see it was a small vile. Evie knelt down, noticing white powder inside as she picked up the blue piece of glass. If the expression she saw on his face once she looked back wasn't enough giveaway, the substance inside was. She didn't have to ask him to know what it was.

John fumbled over his words, quickly giving up on trying to saying anything. He expected Evie to give something of a scolding with what his Aunt told him about her. He knew the people who taught her religion and the things they chastised, one being drugs. Although to his surprise, Evie stepped toward him with her hand extended out. "I'm

not one to judge." She stated, giving him a small

smile, before taking a step back.

Before he could think of a reply another set of footsteps could be heard approaching the back, and Ada soon appeared at the door. The expression on her face was probably the most annoyed Evie had ever seen. "Are you kidding me?," Ada sighed. "I've been lookin' for you all over the bloody town."

"An' you didn't think to ask Harry if he'd seen me?" John joked, folding his hands over the vile so she wouldn't see it. Ada rolled her eyes. "Piss off. Polly's lookin' for you anyway."

She left without another word, but looked over to Evie as if saying to follow her. Evie looked back to John, catching him slip the small blue capsule into his coat once his sister was gone. "I imagine I'll be seeing you later?" She questioned lightly. All he did was nod, letting a halfhearted smile come across his face. Evie pointed her head down to his pocket. "That'll be our secret."

Her words made him smirk, prompting her to smirk as well before leaving the room. John rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head slightly. He was taking a liking to her already.


	15. Chapter 15

_1924:_

. . .

Unlike every evening in the past week, Evie could see the sunset from her bedroom. The pair of elongated windows cast an orange and pink glow into the boudoir, falling onto everything from the elaborate screen in the corner to the large bed opposite of the crystal clear glass. It was an entrancing setting, although right now, all her attention was focused on the record in her hands. She set it carefully onto the phonograph, making sure not to scratch it with her nails before placing the needle on. A content smile crept onto her lips as the music began to play, and she soon began to tug at the buttons of her sweater once she stepped away from the contraption.

Ada was already prepared for the charity dinner— something they would have to leave for soon —and Polly had just arrived only moments ago. Evie never came down to greet her, rather sway around her bedroom to the music she had been playing. The collection of records strawn out on her bed were evidence of what she had been doing all afternoon. Absolutely nothing but listening to endless melodies on a day where she had to do absolutely nothing until the evening arrived. It was at that moment that she wished she had a record of Maria's songs. The girl's voice was one that, in Evie's humble opinion, outshined many others. She knew that one day people would come to realize this as she had, but for now, Maria was her clubs personal gem.

Once her sweater was discarded, Evie reached for the gown which hung from her dressing screen. The dress had resembled Polly's in many ways, although rather than drape onto the floor it ended just above her ankles and hung from her shoulders with no feathers to accompany it. It took her only a minute to change into the piece, but now she was having trouble finding her shoes. In truth, Evie could care less about where they were, as she felt being barefoot was better than walking along in pumps. If it wasn't for the formality of the event she was going to, she would've disregarded the thought of them. Evie instead let herself be distracted by the music which played, soon dropping onto the couch pushed against the same wall which her windows were embedded into.

"I see Ms. Hopeless Romantic has returned to us."

She immediately lifted her head to the open door, coming face to face with Polly who, shamelessly, displayed a smirk across her face. Evie pressed her lips together, feeling slightly embarrassed about being caught in such a state seeing as no one had ever caught her before... unless the times she and Ada would dance around with each other in Birmingham counted.

"Hello to you too." Evie greeted, sitting up from her reclined position as Polly came to sit on the edge of the bed. The older woman shifted, messing with the gloves covering her hands. Despite Polly's stare never faltering, Evie was never phased, which only made her believe her own statement even more. Although now Evie furrowed her own brow. "What?"

They sat in silence for a moment. "Who is it?" Polly narrowed her eyes, soon turning her gaze down to the train of her dress in order to adjust it.

"I'm sorry?"

"Who is the lucky London boy, hm." She elaborated, rather stating than asking as she looked back up to her. Unable to respond right away, Evie's jaw fell slightly, although eventually, she managed to find her words, narrowing her eyes. "Because I'm dancing around to music again you're suddenly assuming I've met someone?"

Polly shook her head without hesitation. "I wouldn't say it's because you're back to that but more so because of the look that won't leave your face." She pointed. "I know that look."

Evie huffed, amused by what she was hearing, but after a while, she noticed Polly still looked to her expectantly. Both of them were equally stubborn and both were aware of just how much the other was, but sometimes Evie could tell when Polly was more so. This was one of those times. Finally, she chose to give her what she wanted, knowing she would only receive an earful during the dinner later on if she didn't. There might have been someone who had pushed her thoughts back into a more romantic state, although Evie wasn't entirely sure if that was true. She found a lot of things carrying her back to how she once felt lately and, whether or not she knew the answer, she didn't mind it. She did, however, mind Polly's interrogating manner, and that was something she would for sure experience if she didn't give an answer. "It's no one you know." Evie explained, glancing away from the older woman. Polly hummed. "But someone I've seen?" She probed.

"Evie!" They heard Ada call her before she could respond, and soon saw her at the door. "Joshua called from the club— he said he'd be here in a couple of minutes." Ada smiled, turning her gaze over to her aunt, who turned her own gaze back to Evie. "Joshua? Your manager?" She questioned.

"Yes," Evie replied a-matter-of-factly, "He agreed to come as my date for tonight." Upon seeing her shoes peeking out from under her bed, Evie stood to go grab them. Another hum escaped Polly's lips, although this time she seemed to think she had cracked her case wide open. Once she had her shoes in hand, Evie turned around to give her a pointed stare. "It's not him." She dismissed. "An' don't try figuring it out— it's not important right now."

"Figure out what?" Ada asked.

Evie's brow raised. "Your aunt thinks that I've met someone and she wants to know who."

"'Thinks'." Polly scoffed. "You just told me you had."

"Yeah, but I'm not gonna tell you who— otherwise you'll scare 'im off." Evie stated, earning a short-lived giggle from her friend. "C'mon Pol, let's leave her be." Ada pushed, ushering her away from the room, but not before the older woman could give Evie a pointed look. As if she was saying they'd continue their discussion later.

* * *

She knew they would arrive at the dinner after most of the guests had, although she didn't realize just how much later until Joshua showed up ten minutes past the time he was supposed to. She wasn't necessarily perturbed, but she didn't let him forget his mistake either. Given Joshua always had an aptitude for arriving on time, she spent the drive making fun of him for it and his reaction to it was exactly as she hoped. His cheeks were flushed out of embarrassment because— during busy nights at the club —he knew he had scolded her about her lateness before.

For once Evie had a small amount of time to be the one joking rather than the one receiving them. When they arrived, however, she reeled in this demeanor before she took even one step out of the car. Much like her mother, she had taught herself to quickly shut parts of her personality off when she needed to for instances such as busy nights or professional events such as this one.

The trick was mainly put to use when she was around those who she didn't recognize nor knew the influence they held and, as of this moment, that was the situation they were walking into. Evie hardly recognized anyone attending the dinner, apart from the obvious haircuts of the Shelby brothers and familiar faces of their aunt, sister, and wives. Although, ironically, the guests seemed to be recognizing her. She was rarely approached, but the side glances of realization she caught were enough to tell her she was known of, even in a particular crowd such as this. Then again, as she stood next to her company, Evie reminded herself they had only been there for a little over half an hour so far, therefore she wondered how much more of this she would be dealing with during the remainder of the night.

She absentmindedly sipped the champagne which had been in her hand for a few minutes now, letting Joshua do the talking for a change considering she already underwent three different conversations. Eventually, as the minutes passed she began to scan the crowds around her, looking for no one in particular but simply curious as to who or what she might see. Something did catch her eye, although rather than the woman drawing her attention, the gem which hung from her neck was what did so. Evie already matched the hair to Grace, being able to recognize her from a mile away since she arrived, but the necklace . . she wondered why it hadn't caught her eye until now. "Evie?" Joshua's voice drew her out of her thoughts. "You alright? You looked as if you drifted off for a moment."

She shook her head. "Sorry no, I'm alright." Evie assured, turning back to look where Grace stood. "Have you ever seen a gem like that?"

Joshua squinted slightly, catching glimpse of what his date had been admiring. "I don't believe I have."

As soon as he answered her question, Grace suddenly turned her gaze their way as if she had heard them speak of her. The woman gave a soft smile towards the pair, causing Evie to do the same as she began to walk over to them. Joshua was met with a hello, along with a chorus of compliments on his suit, and it wasn't long before the blonde wrapped Evie in a hug. "I haven't gotten the chance to talk to you all night so I thought I'd come and say hello while I can."

Evie chuckled, pulling back from the hug, although Grace kept her hand wrapped in her gloved one. "I think this is the first time I've seen you stand still all night." Evie smiled. "How many people have you spoken to already?"

"Too many." Grace breathed, pushing a lone strand of short hair away from her face. "But I've been trying to pull as much money out of peoples pockets as I can." She admitted, letting a smirk come across her face.

Both laughed at her ambition, only making Grace's smile bigger. "Well, if you need help just give me the word. I know a trick or two." Evie lended, immediately earning a chuckle in response.

Grace agreed to her offer. "Believe me I will." Upon hearing her name from the opposite end of the room, she turned away from the pair, although it seemed she had only imagined what she heard, as the blonde shook her head slightly. It was only a few seconds later when she turned back just as quickly. "Oh, I just remembered— Evie I wanted you to meet someone, a duchess. She mentioned your club rather fondly."

Hearing her mention a duchess had immediately triggered a memory in Evie's mind, although at the moment she couldn't place it. She knew she had heard the word in conversation before, but the thought wouldn't fully return, therefore she gave her friend a delighted look. "A duchess interested in our club?" She fathomed, turning to Joshua. "It seems we're climbing up the social ranks."

Grace waved her along. "Come on, I'll introduce you."

After receiving a nod of understanding from her date, Evie separated to follow her friend. While searching and strolling through the crowds, the two women eventually linked their arms as to not lose each other, although when Grace found the person she was looking for, they separated. Evie watched as she pried another woman from a group, only taking a few steps forward as they came back to her.

It didn't take her long to be able to see that she was, in fact, a duchess. Grace didn't have to tell her so to know it was true. Evie had seen many different people from many different walks of life in both her younger years and the recent few. Whether it be negative or positive, this woman had the same, affluent presence that many of her guests had. Although her eyes held a look that she caught from only a few. One that she had seen phase across Tommy's now and again. Although it wasn't necessarily a good one. If she was correct in her silent assumption, she assumed the elegant look the woman displayed was used to mask it.

"Evie, this is Duchess Tatiana Petrovna." Grace smiled. "Duchess, this is my friend, Evie Cardone. I thought that since you had spoken of 'Amelia's' so much, I'd introduce you to the owner."

The woman's eyes widened, soon turning to pierce into Evie's own, turquoise ones. "Oh my," Tatiana nearly stuttered over her words, "I didn't expect to have such a meeting tonight. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Cardone."

"The pleasure is all mine, please." Evie smiled. "I didn't think that my club would go so far as to catch the attention of London aristocracy, nevermind a duchess."

Her company chuckled at her flustered tone. "Evie is just being humble." Grace contradicted. "While I've yet to visit it myself, I know she's worked tirelessly to make it what it is now. She deserves the attention."

"Well, when you're not busy with that little boy of yours, you need to come and visit." Evie insisted, pushing the subject away from herself, before bringing her attention back to the duchess. "Tatiana, Grace said your name was Petrovna, correct? That is a Russian surname is it not?"

Tatiana nodded. "It is. You are very well read."

"May I ask where in Russia you're from?"

"Actually, my family and I lived in Georgia. It is a country just east of Turkey." She explained. "I came here to London with my aunt and uncle, although I must admit I attend most things such as this on my own. My aunt isn't normally a social type unless she has to be."

A smile pulled at the corner of Evie's mouth. "Well, I believe your aunt and I have something in common."

"I'm not one to socialize every waking moment either. In truth, I attend events like this for the champagne." Tatiana admitted, causing all three of them to giggle in amusement. Upon spotting another familiar guest arrive, Grace politely excused herself, leaving the two women to chat amongst themselves.

"I applaud what you have done with your club, Ms. Cardone. The number of well-known musicians you have collected is admirable." Tatiana spoke up. "In fact, I spend most of my time keeping up with the newest music. My uncle's associate has helped me over the years due to our travels, although now that we have been in England for some time it has been much easier to do so on my own."

Evie furrowed her brow, suddenly remembering what she had been trying to recall earlier. "Your uncle's associate wouldn't happen to be a man by the name of Mikhailov, would he?"

"Why yes, he is." Tatiana nodded, her eyes now slightly narrowed. "Has he come to your club?"

"In fact he has. He came by a few weeks ago, in the middle of the day of all times. He had told me that you were hoping I could bring a few of my best musicians to play for you at the estate you and your family are staying at."

Tatiana let out a curt, breathy laugh. "That is correct. But I must say I'm surprised at him. I had asked him to do so many times but he continuously told me he couldn't."

Evie's eyes narrowed. "Really?"

The Duchess nodded. "I would have done it myself but I was also very busy at the time." She paused, glancing out to the crowds. "I'm surprised he didn't tell me that he did so. Normally he is on top of these things. Although he did tell my uncle that he would be traveling from city to city for the next month. We haven't heard much from him at all since then."

Evie hummed. "Perhaps he thought he would fit it in while he could?"

Tatiana stood silently for a moment, tilting her head. "Perhaps..." She repeated, seeming to drift off in thought. "May I ask, how did he look when he came that day? Who was he with?"

Before either could continue their conversation, Evie felt a hand grip her shoulder. Grace had returned to the pair all smiles, adjusting the fur wrapped around her shoulders. "Hello again. Sorry that I rushed off so quickly. I had to speak to a very important guest for a moment." She apologized. "Evie, Joshua was looking for you. He said he needed to speak now if you could. About the club."

"Can it not wait?" Evie questioned. "I told him we wouldn't discuss any business tonight."

"He said it was important. Something having to do with your security?"

Evie's mouth fell into a silent 'oh' before she nodded understandably. "Tatiana, I apologize we have to cut our conversation short but it seems I'm needed. We can continue speaking later."

The Duchess shook her head. "No please, go. I understand."

Evie gave her a small smile before placing her hand on Grace's arm in thanks. She hoped that whatever Joshua had to tell her was important, because now her thoughts lingered on Tatiana's unanswered questions.

* * *

...

"So you're telling me that Duncan  _deliberately_ punched one of Alfie's men... simply because he brushed against him as they were unloading whisky crates?"

Joshua nodded, pursing his lips.

"And Samuel was the one who telephoned you?"

"Yes- and he proceeded to tell me that the fight caused five large crates to fall, break open, and spill whiskey  _all_  over the ground." The man sighed, rubbing his hand frustratedly over his face, which was now creased with wrinkles. "I don't understand why you insist on keeping him there, Evie. The man has  _very_  poor control of his temper and will bad mouth anyone he dislikes anytime he can.  _Even_  during business hours- it's unprofessional."

Evie chuckled. "Clearly you have never been to Edinburgh. Not all Scots are like that but nearly every man that has worked for my father has acted the exact same way at some point." She admitted, crossing her arms and they strolled through the crowds. "I only keep Duncan there because he's amazing at what he does, and he's been at my father's side for years. He does what his job requires of him... but his temper isn't one of those requirements."

Joshua scoffed. "Clearly."

Before Evie could calm her friends anger, a sudden clang of a gong nearly startled her from their conversation. As everyone's attention drifted to the left of her, a man in red stepped onto a ledge. "The loyalty toast to his Majesty, the King!"

Neither she nor Joshua held a glass in their hands, although the toast went ignored by them anyway. Evie never understood the point of displays like it. They never did anything true or convincing, and she knew half of the people there could care less. A sigh soon escaped her own lips. "We'll talk about it  _later_ , alright? No business tonight."

Joshua huffed in amusement, smiling over at her. "Fine," He paused, offering her his arm. "Shall we eat then?"

"Yes, I'm starved." Evie breathed, gladly looping her hand through the crook of his arm as everyone began to head towards the dinner hall. As they began to walk, she caught Tatiana's gaze, which seemed completely opposite of the expression she saw last. Evie gave her a short smile, to which the duchess returned, although once her head turned away the smile immediately dropped. Evie's brow knitted together in confusion. She wondered what could've made the other woman's mood change so suddenly.

Her attention, however, was taken away as she felt another hand on her shoulder. Polly had appeared to her left, giving her the familiar warm smile Evie always knew her for. She hadn't noticed that a gentleman was trying to walk by them, not even as he nearly pushed Polly to the ground. Evie's mind was distracted in the entirety of it. That is . . until she heard a gun shot suddenly ring in her ears.


	16. Chapter 16

Death wasn't something she was unacquainted with. The first dead body she saw was when she was eight years old, in the back of an ally during the early hours of the morning. Even now she could remember it as if it had just happened. From what her father had told her, she knew that was the same day he paid a ransom to release her. To free her from her kidnappers after she had been swept from under her mother's nose. Although that ransom was never paid. Evie recalled a much younger Duncan waking her up at the crack of dawn before any of it occurred. They broke into the house she was kept in almost effortlessly. Duncan carried her to the car while a man named Jaime watched his back, and they managed to drive away without a peep. That is until someone heard their car engine from that same house. From that point on the memory was a blur of streets and eventually gunshots until she was pulled from the vehicle. They got her to a safe area in time, leaving three out of four men after them dead during the chase, although the last managed to slip by the long spray of bullets and fired back once he found them. That safe place was no longer safe, and they had to get her somewhere else. Jaime was the one to kill the man after receiving a shot to his abdomen, and if more of her father's men hadn't arrived at the nick of time he too would have died in front of her.

There had been many times when Duncan told her she never once cried in fear that day. Her eyes were wide, her mouth was open, but no tears. Not one. She assumed many would've thought that impossible had they heard it come from her lips. An eight-year-old girl not crying at the sight of dead bodies was something hard to believe. But it was the truth. Evie had never been one to cry much in the first place anyhow. When she was born her father told her she was one of the calmest children he had ever seen, and he only continued to stand by that statement as she grew up. Truth be told, she didn't keep many long-standing friendships because of it. Some of her school-mates even went as far as to call her weird for not shedding a tear at things where they would. It wasn't that she was emotionless, she simply never cried unless she felt absolutely distraught. She couldn't recall a time she cried when she was anything less than completely lost, or scared, or sad . . or all three rolled into one.

Right now Evie could say she was inching towards this feeling, or at least she was beginning to. She lost count of how many times she had been asked if she was alright a few days ago . . the night of the charity dinner. Most of it came from Joshua repeatedly and Ada here and there when she would turn her attention away from the situation they were in. Even Michael came up to her at one point to ask the same question.  _Are you alright._  In the moment she couldn't figure out why everyone was asking her this over and over and over again. All she could remember was walking into dinner before a man shouted from behind them. Then came the gunshot . . she couldn't recall anything clearly after hearing it. She could faintly remember Joshua grabbing at her arms and Arthur toppling a man. She could remember Polly's voice.

_"Polly what's happening— what happened?"_

_"Go with Ada, the both of you now— go."_

_"Pol—"_

_"Just go! Now!"_

Then she saw blood. Grace's blood, trailing down her collar bone as if it was weeping. Tommy's hands were already stained red when they passed by, as were the sleeves of his shirt. If Joshua didn't have her in his grip, she would have kneeled on the ground next to him in an attempt to stop the bleeding . . anything to stop the bleeding. But she couldn't. She was dragged away from the scene in front of her before she could even react; rushed into a car with Ada in an attempt to get help. It was a blur. One big, fast, messy blur and she didn't know how to process any of it.

That is until they came out of the car. Evie only felt everything start to sink in once their vehicle reached the hospital and an ambulance rushed back to where they came from. It was only after, when she noticed her own state, that she understood why so many had asked of her well being, because she  _couldn't_ process it till then. She didn't realize she was shaking so much until Michael came up to her in the hallway . . who knows how long after. He hadn't done anything of the sort before. She didn't pay attention to how Joshua was rubbing her back softly, or how Polly came to sit beside them; her own fingers stained red from helping her nephew. All Evie knew was that Grace was dead . . they couldn't save her in time.

It played in her mind on a loop for days. Whatever any of them did, whatever they said, it always led back to  _that_. . and before they knew it, they were planning a burial.

The funeral was cold, gray, much like the weather above them. None of them expected rain to fall, yet the umbrellas were held above their heads even after it stopped. Words of reminiscence were never spoken. No fond memories, no lighthearted moments of the past shared . . nothing. They weren't that kind of people. People who clung to things that only made them happy for a moment. Things that temporarily eased the pain. The only actions done were what was required of them.

A priest spoke what was expected to be spoken over the grave, but it did nothing to assure those who needed it. She watched as Tommy gripped a handful of dirt, taking his time to let it fall on the coffin. They all watched. Tentative stares holding him in their gazes, waiting for the moment when he might break. It never came. His face was blank for the longest time, and only stayed that way after the service came to its end. It was always the same after  _that_  night passed. Cold, quiet, too unpredictable to approach. The only time she saw a change (or  _thought_  she saw a change) was when he looked down to Charlie . . although Evie could only notice this because she was the one holding him.  _Not his father_ , She thought. Even as they walked back to Arrow House with a grave now in the ground, Charlie lied comfortably in her arms, dozing off to nothing in particular.

Sharing the same religion as her friend, she felt a sense of peace knowing where Grace would be now, but she knew how she felt didn't matter. Not really. The feelings that mattered were those of the child she held and the man who walked in front of her, and right now neither made a sound. Even as they entered the house, the only noise was that which came from the many pairs of shoes. They all knew where they were going, and they didn't stop walking until they were there.

Tommy's study filled with a mass of black clothes and somewhat muddy shoes, all adorned on people who didn't know what to do next . . except for the man who sat at the desk. Two cigarettes lit, one by him and one by his aunt.

"What are you going to do, Thomas?" Polly asked him quietly, carefully.

They all stared at him expectantly . . hesitating, preparing for a reaction rather than a response. They all waited for his answer. All except for Johnny-Doggs, who let his eyes fall to the ground, and herself, who let her gaze focus on the sleeping baby in her arms. If Evie was being honest with herself, she knew she had no importance in the situation. She didn't want to stare at Tommy as his family did. She knew only they had the right to do so, despite her many past years of living with Polly.

For the brief moment she looked up, she could see Johnny thought something similar, if not the same as she. They weren't blood, they wouldn't get a say. It didn't affect them like it affected the family . . even if she felt more grief than Tommy's own brothers. She could easily pack up and leave, return to London and stay out of it. They couldn't.

With one long drag to his cigarette, he stood, letting the stub fall into the ashtray. "I buried my wife today." He muttered, exhaling deeply as if he had been holding his breath up until that point. No one dared to respond. His palms pressed onto the desk, firmly, but twitching. He wanted to keep himself collected . .  _had to_.

"I buried . . my wife," He repeated letting the end of his sentence fall into a mumble. He paused for a moment that seemed to last for ages. " . . . and I will find every last bastard that had any fucking thing to do with her murder."

Polly blinked, unmoving. "Thomas—"

He looked up at the sound of his name, although his expression was the furthest from simple acknowledgment. Chilling, hard, yet dangerously calm. It was what Ada described to her as the calm before the storm many years ago.

Polly let her mouth close. She knew that look. She knew not to push at it . . but she also knew where he got that look from. They needed to talk about this. They needed to talk about what was going to happen.

Tommy was the one to end their stare, glancing down to his desk. "Evie . . "

She tensed, looking up from the baby she was holding. Tommy never broke his eyes away from the desk, keeping his head down yet acknowledging her all the same. "Take Charlie into the living room."

She was smart enough to know what that really meant.  _Take Charlie away. I don't want him to be here for what might happen next._ She shifted, glancing over to Polly who had already looked over herself. She hoped she wouldn't say anything to make things worse.

Evie stood, careful to keep Charlie still in her grip as she moved. If Tommy was anything like her father when he grieved, she knew contained rage was worse than openly displayed rage. And since Polly had shown she wasn't in agreement with his words, all she could do was watch . . yet now she couldn't even do that. She did as he requested, slowly, but obediently leaving.

She frowned at what she saw when she came out of the room. An empty, shivering house with endless halls and rooms but nothing to occupy the space. It looked as if the life had been taken from it . . which wasn't entirely false. Life  _had_  been taken from it. She took her time walking over to the couch across the room, her feet falling into a leisurely pace, almost like a rhythm to keep Charlie from waking up. It was the only sound she could hear aside from Tommy's muffled voice, although she couldn't understand a word of what he was saying. It made her begin to worry. He wasn't yelling . . it was better than if he was, but that didn't make it a good thing.

Perhaps it was for her benefit that she wasn't in there right now, now that she remembered how he reacted. How he planned things when he was angry. How many of the Shelby's, including him, told her it wasn't always beneficial to know everything, even if all she wanted to do was help.

Evie wished it was easier said than done . . because she wasn't the type of person who would just brush off the fact that she  _didn't_ know everything. It was in her nature to be curious, inquisitive . . although if mentioned she would correct it as cautiousness. She always had the safety of the people she cared about in mind, and to her, that meant she had to know everything. Just in case there was something that could possibly harm them, she would have the upper hand. She would know all the details,  _be in control_  . . but she couldn't do that right now. She wouldn't know everything and she felt that fault begin to poke inside of her chest. It was aggravating, but it was the truth of who she was.

"Miss Cardone?"

She looked to her left to see Mary, automatically lifting her finger to her lips on account of a still-sleeping Charlie in her arms. Mary smiled softly, coming to stand closer to where they were sitting. "Could I get you anything while you wait for Mr. Shelby and his family to finish?"

Evie shook her head, declining quietly. "No Mary, I'm alright. Thank you."

The housekeeper nodded curtly, seeming to be uncertain of whether she should leave or not. She hesitated, intertwining her fingers in front of her waist out of habit. "I'm glad you all came when you did." She told her. "Even with the terrible thing you had to do this mornin'."

Evie never responded, only gave a small nod of understanding. Mary was a kind woman. A woman that reminded her of her mother more than she expected. But she was uncertain just how openly she could express how she felt around the her. In all honesty, Evie wasn't entirely sure how she felt. How she  _actually_  felt. She knew she was sad. She lost someone who she had considered a friend and it broke her heart, but she hadn't cried at all. Nothing came, no tears, no sobs. Her heart ached. It ached from her own sadness, for the people around her, but that was all. She wondered: Was she still lost in the intensity of everything or was she becoming less and less emotional as the years went on? She didn't know and it left her confused . . it frustrated her.

Mary smiled once more, although something was different this time. She wasn't as calm as she was mere seconds ago. Her hands twitched, her stance was no longer completely still. "Mary, is something the matter?"

"No ma'am, I just . . " The older woman hesitated once more, but it only made Evie concerned.

"Mary you can tell me. It's alright." She assured her, adjusting Charlie in her grip so she could sit up.

Mary sighed. "I'm worried for him ma'am . . I'm worried for Charlie." She admitted. "It's not good for him to be alone right now."

A response never came after that, but she agreed with what Mary said. Without so much as thinking about it, she knew the older woman was right. No one should be alone after something like that, not even Tommy with his preference to be alone being stronger than hers. She had an idea of what would happen if they ignored it, or if they let him close himself off from everyone like she assumed he might do. Her father did it when her mother died . . and she let him without even realizing. Evie was distracted by her own grief and the attempts to console her brother . . and while her father wasn't exactly like Tommy, she wished she hadn't let him isolate himself before he sent her away.

Nowadays her father felt somewhat foreign to her. She knew he still loved her, missed her . . that much was clear in his letters, but she had no idea as to what he became in the past few years. Her brother— also called Charlie —was no help, having no interest in writing his older sister. She was scared that their father changed for the worse, and she couldn't help but think that the reason for it could be that she didn't push to be with him more when he grieved. She didn't want that same fate to fall onto Tommy's shoulders.

Evie reached out with her free hand, managing to give Mary's own hand a reassuring squeeze as the door of the study suddenly opened. The housekeeper's gazed jerked around to the sound for a moment, observing exactly who was coming out of the room before turning back to her. "Would you like me to take Charlie off your hands, ma'am?" She offered. "I'm sure you're tired from holding him all mornin'."

A halfhearted smile moved across her lips in a wave, disappearing as quickly as it came. Evie turned her gaze over to Arthur as they all came into the empty space, making note of who now stood or sat before her.  _Everyone but Ada and Tommy_. "It's alright, Mary. I don't mind it." She told her, rubbing Charlie's small back with her thumb. Her gaze lingered back down to him. "Rather than keeping him calm, I think it's him that's been keeping me calm."

Mary let a small hum of understanding escape her lips. The woman was a mother, after all; something Evie learned only recently. "But I guess I should pry him out of my arms while I can."

That was all she had to say for the housekeeper to extend her arms out, scooping up the sleeping baby in her own grasp before disappearing without a peep.

As if on cue, Ada appeared from her brother's study just as Mary took her leave. Despite her pinned back hairdo, a few dark curls that framed her face came loose, bouncy and near untamable. Evie envied it. She had natural curls as well, although she wished they would do something besides fall flat on her head, loose and dare she say lifeless.

The Shelby sister eyed her the minute she came into the larger room. "Evie, can I speak with you?" She asked, quietly, almost in an attempt to avoid her family's ears. They both moved quickly into the hallway without another word.

"I talked to Tommy . . or rather I just told him I guess." She began, crossing her arms in hesitation. "I told him we would come stay here for a while. I don't know for how long, just . . till he's somewhat better." Ada paused briefly, but not long enough to give her a chance to say anything. "I know I shouldn't be making plans for you- I mean you have a whole business of your own to run but . . I didn't know if you'd wanna stay in the house all alone with me an' Karl gone for who knows how long and I—"

She was rambling.

"Ada, Ada— it's fine." Evie assured her before she could continue, placing her hands on her friend's shoulders.

Ada sighed deeply, shaking her head. "I just don't want him to be alone."

"I know," Evie nodded. "I don't either . . I don't know how I could help by being here but, I'll come an' stay. Do what I can . . Joshua wants me to get away from work anyhow. Rest a bit."

A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Ada's mouth. "Alright." She nodded. "We should probably get going. So we can pack what we need and get back by tomorrow mornin'."

* * *

...

Something about the London streets seemed different, grayer. Like they knew what happened to the Shelby family only four days ago. When she came into Amelia's that afternoon the feeling only grew because those who were there actually  _did_  know. Joshua was partially at fault, telling Duncan what happened, who then proceeded to let the information slip to Kristopher (another one of her security men), who then told one of her bartenders. The trail went on until Maria showed up out of the blue as she was making rearrangements for the next few weeks, also asking if she was alright.

Evie grew to loathe the question after a while.

She wasn't the one who should've been asked so many times, but she had a mind not to say that to any of them. They only knew the Shelby name, not the people behind it like she did.

So, for the next half hour she carried on with forced gratitude. She tried preparing anything she could amidst the hustle, making sure everything would be alright while she was gone. Many things were scanned over an endless amount of times despite the fact that she knew they were okay. Eventually, she arranged things so intently that she assumed she could've left for three months and nothing would be out of place.

Evie knew there was no need for her to be doing any of this. The second Joshua found out she was going to leave with Ada for a while, he told her he would take care of everything. In fact he insisted it. He knew the ins and outs of the club just as well as she did. She could just as easily stop coming to the club all together and business would continue like nothing had ever happened. But she was anxious. She felt the need to do all of these things before she left. It was another thing which kept her mind busy that wouldn't be there for the next few weeks, and she didn't know how she would cope with that. Much like everything else that she had been through recently.

Of course, Joshua had none of it, pressing that she go along, give herself time to rest. He was there when Grace was shot too after all. He saw how Evie reacted, probably better than she did, and continued to insist she take some time off. Even now as she saw him walk up to her out of the corner of her eye, she expected to hear those same words.

"Evie—"

"Please don't." She interrupted him, looking up from the papers she was skimming through. "Don't make me stop."

She waited . . waited for him to argue, although he never did. All she received was silence, and once she turned to look at him, sympathy. Or what she assumed was sympathy. Joshua knew she absolutely loathed pity, and she was thankful he did. But the look he gave her now, right now it almost aggravated her as if he  _was_  giving her pity. "You know I need to do this to keep my mind busy, so please just . . let me."

"I do." The papers were suddenly snatched from her hands, now being folded into his. "But right now you need to rest more." He pushed. "We  _both_  know that."

She was becoming frustrated, despite her understanding of what he was saying. "I'm going to when I go back to Birmingham— can you just let me do this until I have to leave? Please?"

"Ev, you were supposed to leave half an hour ago." He stated.

"And how do you know that?"

As soon as she picked up another document, Joshua snatched it from her grasp as well. "Because Ada just telephoned asking where you were."

She huffed in annoyance, keeping her mouth shut rather than continuing a conversation she knew she would lose. Ada originally thought they would have to wait til the next morning due to Karl's refusal to do anything that involved folding his clothes, but somehow she had coaxed her son into doing it after mentioning 'seeing his uncle Tommy'. Now Evie was the only one left who was still collecting her things . . or at least that's what she hoped Ada assumed she was doing.

She knew that she was trying to distract herself until she absolutely had to leave. Truth be told, Evie didn't do well with her own grief. Not since her mother and sister passed. When they died she immediately went into a consoling phase with her little brother, trying to help him over his own grief. But when their father sent her away a month after, she was forced to face her emotions. Granted, at the time, she had Polly to help her cope with the dreaded feelings and tears that just didn't seem like they would ever stop. But even with that . . she hated it. She absolutely hated it. Grieving, feeling helpless, broken down. Polly knew this and told her that how she felt was valid . . but that didn't do anything to solve her problem. And what she was doing now didn't either.

"There's someone else here to see you too." Joshua piped up from her side. The only thing she was able to catch as she looked his way was a smirk, and while it made her curious, Evie had to get things done. She could hear a new set of footsteps after his escaped her ears, but it only made her sigh. She didn't want to deal with any more company, no more forced consolations.

"We're closed." She called out, keeping her eyes on the papers Joshua hadn't snatched away. "Business doesn't start until seven pm."

"Oh now c'mon love. Can I not stop by to say hello?"

At the sound of a familiar voice, her head jerked up. "Alfie." The gangster stood there in his usual lengthy black overcoat and pork pie hat, although now he held a cane in his hand. Evie fiddled with the pen in her own, looking back down to what she had been reading over. "What are you doing here?"

She heard him begin to walk up to where she stood. "I 'eard you were leavin' for a while . . thought I'd stop by before ya did."

Normally a comment like that would make a small smirk pull at the corner of her mouth, although right now she found no humor in his words. "That doesn't sound like you."

"Yeah well, I 'aven't really been myself lately." He continued, causing her brow to knit together. Evie looked up at him once more, noticing how his expression softened. "Sammy boy telephoned me earlier. Told me what 'appened to ya."

She tensed at his words, immediately being reminded of what he meant despite it being so vague. "It didn't happen to me." She muttered, keeping their stare. Alfie never broke it either, only pressed his lips in a thin line once he stood a few feet away.

"Ya goin' back home?" He questioned, although this time it was softer, opposite of his normal tone. She shook her head, taking in a deep breath as her gaze drifted back down.

"I'm going back to Birmingham for a few weeks." She paused, dropping the pen onto the small table with a clink. "I'm staying with Tommy for a while. So is Ada . . in fact I'm keeping her waiting."

At first, she thought she imagined the grumble she heard, although after looking up once more she could see that a scowl had cracked onto Alfie's face. "You uh . . you're stayin' with 'im, hm?" He nodded. "You're going back to the Shelbys."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes," His reaction left her puzzled. "Why?"

"Do you really think bein' around him is a good idea, love?" Alfie avoided her question, asking one of his own. "If someone got shot dead you shouldn't be with the man who was the reason for it. Goin' home sounds safer. Or better yet, staying where you are."

"I'll be safe there, Alfie." She argued, beginning to fold the mess of documents in front of her.

"You'd be safer here." He was quieter this time, more insistent. Evie looked over to him, seeing his gaze was harder, pressed even. He looked as if he was trying to convince her more than anything.

She didn't move when he brushed his thumb along her cheek, feeling as if the action left her frozen. It made her remember something. Someone she hadn't thought of since before the war. Eventually she did find the will to break their gaze, looking down at the bundle of paper in her hands. She could hear him sigh through his nose.

"You didn't like that peck I left on your check last time, did ya?" He sounded almost regretful, bashful.

Evie let her eyes close for a moment. "No it's not that— I just . . " Her sentence trailed off. In truth, she didn't know what to say. She bit at her bottom lip, letting silence come over them rather than trying to think of an answer. He wasn't pressing for one anyhow.

"You know I'm right." He muttered, speaking low enough to where only she could hear. "An' I meant what I said before. I did." He paused, although she never looked up, never moved to respond. "You stay 'ere . . and  _I'll_  keep you safe."

"No one can keep me safe," She mumbled, steeling a glance. "No one can keep anyone safe . . not really." Her words seemed to surprise him. Alfie's expression softened, although now he looked as if he couldn't believe what he heard (even if he believed the words himself). "That's not why I'm leaving anyhow." She continued. "They lost family. I lost a friend . . I need to be with them."

He never responded, although the frown that eventually came across his face made her, admittedly . . guilty. She could see he really meant what he said, even if it was hard for her to believe. After a while she could also see something else, when he turned his head away. There was redness on a small part of his cheek, right in front of his ear. But it wasn't from blushing, and it wasn't a cut. She'd seen enough cuts and scrapes along Arthur's face to know. "What's this?" She muttered, not intending to ask but rather thinking out loud.

Before she could brush her thumb over the area, however, Alfie pulled away. He stared down at her for a while, pushing his hands into his pockets, then bringing one up to rub at his beard. "I would keep you safe. I would." He insisted. "I could 'ave Samuel and another man stand guard near where you live. I could come 'ere more if you want. Check in and make sure you're a'right."

"Alfie I'm going." She pushed, nearly interrupting. Neither of them had yelled once in their conversation. Now, however, she felt as if she had. She made him shut his mouth with those words.

Evie let out a breath as if she had been holding it forever, feeling her face tense and her brow knit together tightly. She could feel her stress rise. "I have to be there for them . . for him," She nearly whispered, feeling as if she was crying out trying to make him understand. "They did  _so_  much for me. I can't just abandon them because my safety is at stake . . whether you understand it or not."

It was as if he became a statue as she spoke. He never said a word, never moved to stop her . . but the look on his face. He couldn't convince her like he wanted and it showed in his eyes. It made her heart ache a little more than it already was, and for a fleeting moment, she almost took back her words. But she wouldn't. Not even to bring that smile back onto his face.

She'd almost forgotten about the case left on the ground next to her, collecting the papers in her hands before putting them inside. She would leave it for Joshua to grab later.

Eventually she stepped over to Alfie, who now settled with staring down at his shoes as she did what she had to do. That is, until she appeared right in front of him. Against her uncertainty, Evie stood on her toes, kissing his check like he had done to her many nights ago. She didn't know what else to do, but not a shred of regret crept into her mind when she swore she saw a smile tug at his lips.

"What was that for?" He nearly muttered.

Evie stepped back, rubbing her palm with her thumb like the old habit it was. "Just returning the annoyance."

And just like that, before he could say a word, she was gone. She walked straight towards Joshua, who had been waiting for her at the door for who knows how long, extending her arms out. Without question, he wrapped her in a tight hug, rubbing her back like he did that terrible night. "Everything 'll be alright over here— don't you worry." He assured her, pulling back from the hug to look her in the eye. "Everything will be alright over there too."

Evie sighed anxiously, nodding in understanding despite the thoughts in her head. "I hope so."

"Give Ada my best alright?" He asked, watching as she stepped out towards the vehicle that was waiting for her.

"I will."

As the car door opened, he gave her a quick wink. One which she returned, and despite the weight of everything going on, felt a smile creep onto her face. She never regretted one day with that man. He always had his way of cheering her up.

They kept saying silent goodbyes up until he became a dot in her vision, and she was left with nothing but the company of the driver. One day, Evie hoped, she might be able to repay her friend for everything he'd done. Because, like the Shelbys, he had done so much.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is where things start to slightly break off from the show plot. since we're never told how much time passes between the end of episode 2 and the beginning of episode 3 in season 3, i've decided— for evie's story — that that time will be a little over two weeks. i wish that they showed how tommy initially grieved after grace's death but i understand that every little detail can't be fit into the series. therefore i'm gonna portray my version of it in the next few chapters.

When they arrived back at Arrow House, Evie expected to receive nothing short of silence from her now widowed friend. Although when Mary appeared as they came inside, the older woman informed them that Tommy wasn't even in the house. She told them he rode off somewhere along the property grounds, but  _where_  exactly, she couldn't say. She half assumed the housekeeper was sworn to secrecy by her employer, however precious his whereabouts may have been. But at the same time, seeing the worrisome look on Mary's face, she knew it wasn't as much of importance that she keep quiet as she first assumed. She, Ada, and Karl only found enough time to unpack their things in the rooms laid out for them before it was suddenly revealed. Although rather than telling his own sister, Mary confided in Evie. As Ada carried her tuckered out child upstairs to bed, the older woman told her how Tommy's absence had, in fact, become a routine.

For the last four mornings, he would come into the house and walk straight upstairs to Charlie's room, or wherever his son might've been at the time. Once he was satisfied that he was alright, Tommy would then go off to the stables. He would feed the horses, sometimes groom a few, then ride off, disappearing somewhere on the grounds. Back to wherever he was the night before. He would vanish into the neck of the woods with the same horse every time, and return smelling of cigarettes and smoke from a fire. Whether he slept or not was a mystery, although Mary had the mind to tell her he needed more . . if he rested at all. The older woman only caught glimpses of him, but that was all she needed to see he stayed awake far into the late hours of the night.

"Won't be until the morning comes that he'll return." She spoke with a certainty, as if Tommy's pattern had become the new routine not just for him, but for all of them, in a mere handful of mornings. A tray occupied by a porcelain kettle and saucers was placed onto the table in the near center of the room, accompanied by a sugar bowl and small jar of milk. Ada thanked her quietly, beginning to make two cups.

"Now that the two of you are here, hopefully he'll be convinced into sleeping in his bed rather than the woods."

"Well, either way we'll be up waiting for him when he comes back." The Shelby sister spoke with equal certainty, placing a full cup of tea onto her brother's desk for her friend to sip at. After settling in, Evie chose to sit behind the piece of furniture in a rather plush chair, her legs tucked under her with a blanket on her lap to keep warm. With Charlie having been asleep well before they arrived, and Karl in no mood to stay awake, Evie was left with no one to keep her attention. So, while Ada left to put her own child to bed, she decided to fall back into one of her old books. And fall she seemed to have done. Evie hadn't looked up from her book all evening. Not even now . . and while she eventually heard a set of footsteps leave the room, she hadn't noticed that Ada never moved back to her own seat. "You gonna sit there all night?"

Evie paused in her reading to look over (for the first time in an hour), seeing her friend standing before her with crossed arms and an expectant stare. She huffed, letting go of the page she was about to turn. "Would you?"

A hint of a knowing smile crept onto Ada's face. "Suppose you're right," She let her arms drop, eventually beginning to pace. Evie watched her go back and forth for a while, both sitting silently with only the tap of Ada's shoes to fill their ears.

In truth, she didn't know why she was sitting in that chair rather than sleeping in her bed right now. Well . . she  _did_  know why she was . . she just didn't know why she wasn't. Staying near a window on the off chance that she might see Tommy before he came inside would make no difference to when he'd see  _them_ once he did. And yet, at quarter past ten, both she and Ada were still in that room. "Mary said he hasn't been sleeping," Ada muttered, soon ending her pacing in front of the couch. "I'll try to convince him to get some rest when he comes back in the mornin' . . maybe when he does you could bring down Charlie?"

Evie's brow knitted together. "How would Charlie help with that?"

"We have to remind Tommy  _why_  he needs to get some rest . . why he needs to stay here. If not for us,  _for Charlie_." She pressed, "Besides, he makes him calm . . and I wanna keep him that way incase I touch a nerve."

Evie smiled inwardly at her last sentence, eventually sighing through her nose. "Ada I understand . ." She began, closing the book in her lap. ". . but you're overthinking it. You're his little sister he'll listen to you—"

Suddenly they were both interrupted. First, by the creak of the front door, then by Mary's short-lived response from the hall. Footsteps nearly pounded down the long walkway until they reached the living quarters, immediately ceasing. And then there he was as if he had heard them speak about him. There he stood, breathing heavily under his flat cap.

"Tommy . ." Ada acknowledged him, taking in her brother's state. He smelled of smoke, that was for certain. Evie could smell all the way from the other side of the room. Although the minute he stopped in his tracks the alert, anxious expression disappeared from his face as if it never existed. His breath was still ragged, but his entire stance seemed to relax once he took in their own, worried faces. Ada shook herself from the surprise that rendered her silent. ". . what's wrong?"

It was like he was snapped out of a trance. "I- no. It's nothing, I just thought . ." He paused shaking his head. ". . I 'eard a car engine from where I was and thought someone was trying to get into the house, so I came . ." Tommy eventually trailed off in silence, yanking off his cap.

"It was just Johnny Dogs." Evie spoke up, lifting the blanket off of her lap in the process.

Ada nodded. "He thought he'd bring our car round to the back so it wouldn't be in the way."

Evie couldn't tell if he nodded or not from where she sat. Either way, he ran his hand through his hair, beginning to fidget with the hat in his other. "There's no one else here, Tommy." She assured him, "It's just us." She only received a more vigorous nod, although that was all she expected. She didn't assume he would give anything more.

It was only after that she stood, bringing her untouched tea back over to where it came from. Her muscles weren't ashamed to display their tiredness as she walked, despite her earlier protests that she wasn't even close to the feeling. And now that she was closer to her company, she could see just how true Mary's earlier claims were. The skin under Tommy's eyes was dark. A clear sign of a lack of sleep as well as his body language. Not only that, but after his stance relaxed, she could notice he was much more tired than he was leading on. It seemed Ada noticed this too.

"We were just about to tuck in for the night," His sister began. "But we could stay up for a little longer. I could call for Mary . . have her bring you a drink?" Silence. Ada crossed her arms. "Or maybe a bath? You reak of smoke."

Tommy shook his head. "No . . I'm fine." He muttered. She could've sworn she saw him smile for a moment at his sibling's attempts to coax him.

Without another word from them, he seemed to take that as his time to leave. Evie bit at her bottom lip, questioning whether she should say what she was about to say. She didn't want to get Mary in trouble . . then again she also knew the housekeeper cared about him and his well-being more than her record. "Mary told us what you've been doing." She nearly blurted. Now both gazes were on her. Evie shifted in her stance, crossing her arms while Ada uncrossed hers. "You need to sleep, Tommy . . in your own bed."

He halted before he could even take two steps. She expected her words to make him angry, or push him further away than he already was . . although neither ever happened. All he did was drop his gaze to the floor, letting a smile come and go across his face within a second. "Suppose I should . . " His words were almost inaudible. "You would've made me anyway wouldn't you?" He asked her.

Evie's tense stance eventually relaxed. She could feel a smirk try to twitch onto her face. " _No_  . . " She mumbled, "I would've done a hell lot of convincing though."

Tommy began to nod his head lightly, looking from the shoes on her feet, to the ones on his, then up at Ada. "I can't leave you two all alone in this house can I?" He wasn't looking for an answer, although he asked his sister almost as if her response would determine everything. Ada only smiled, eventually nodding herself.

He pressed his lips together tightly, breathing deeply through his nose. "Alright."

Nothing else was said after that . . or well, nothing really needed to be anyhow. At least that's what Evie hoped. She had no clue where to begin when it came to talking about everything . .  _really_  talking about it, and she assumed Tommy was well aware of that after Danny died. Neither of them were talkers when it came to personal trauma, mental trauma, any of it . . which kind of defeated her purpose for being there in the first place. She even reminded herself of this on the way there, although it ended up being pushed to the back of her mind along with many other thoughts . . like what one Camden Town native told her mere hours ago. Anything outside of the house, any thoughts, any noise, it all disappeared into the walls like a cluster of ghosts. The only matter on any of their minds was what happened inside the neverending halls, and for Ada and Evie, that was making sure Tommy wasn't alone in his grief. Even if they couldn't console him like they hoped they could.

Retiring for the night implied separating to go to their rooms, although none of them immediately moved to do so. Neither women wanted to leave Tommy on his own in fear that he might decide to go back to his safe haven in the woods. Unbeknownst to them, Tommy— while he might've wanted to do so —didn't want to leave them to fend for themselves (he wasn't blind. he knew why they really came). No one knew what to do now that they were all there, in a mess of a situation. But eventually, because of Karl's unexpected appearance at the top of the staircase, Ada was the first to go. And with Mary's timely reappearance, things began to move again.

Evie's nightly routine resumed in an unknown yet somehow familiar bathroom.  _Wash face, brush teeth . . and pin your hair down. Otherwise, it'll look like a birds nest in the morning._

She was the last to retreat to her room, although she was also the first to turn out her light and crawl under the covers, praying silently before burying her head into the pillows. Sleep was gladly welcomed . . but it never came. This resulted in her bare feet walking on the cold wood of the second floor until she reached Charlie's room. For some unknown reason, she hoped he might be awake. But, as expected, he was sound asleep, tucked under a blanket three times his size. She couldn't for the life of her understand why she felt the need to be near him ever since the funeral, yet there it was, an unanswered thought sitting right in front of her face. The tug at her heart for that little baby boy. The feeling was unbearable and only became more so when she saw Charlie's sleeping form in the crib before her. She knew it wouldn't go away. She'd be stunned if it did.  _Most of my time will be spent with him I suppose_ , she thought.

When Evie finally did return to her bed, sleep seemed to crash into her like a slap to the face. It was dreamless, quick, almost as if she was free falling. Then, she suddenly came back into consciousness. There were no voices to wake her, no yells startling her awake . . although the thud of objects against the floor made her begin to realize what, or rather who, the culprit was. She knew Tommy had moved into another bedroom apart from his former one after spying two maids moving what she discovered were his belongings into another space. Those quarters were directly across the hall from the room she slept in, and two doors down from where Ada was. They both made note of this earlier. It wasn't a shock to see that his sister was also awake, leaning against the door frame of her room with her arms crossed and her chin cupped in the palm of her hand . . . Evie knew that stance. That look.

Her initial reaction was to cross the hall to find out what was going on, although there was something else that said  _Don't. Stay put._ The hardened stare that showed in Ada's eyes when their gazes met only supported the voice she heard in her head. She could see she was just as conflicted, but kept still, even with the glisten that began to show in her eyes. Evie hated seeing Ada cry . . she hated seeing any of them grieve at all. But this was one time she was silently told, and eventually realized that she shouldn't try to help. The muffled thuds and pacing made her want to do otherwise, but she kept repeating to herself,  _Leave him alone. Let him get it out._  She knew what she was thinking was true. She was familiar with how it went . . how it felt when you would finally let yourself grieve. In truth, she herself had thrown a thing or two when she lost those she loved.

The sound clouded her hearing for many minutes . . but with her clustered thoughts, half an hour seemed like the entire night. Ada was already gone by the time she finally willed herself to retreat back into her bedroom, and only afterward did she discover from the small clock on the wall that it was a little past four in the morning. Evie was absolutely, most certainly the furthest thing from an early bird, which made her think she'd crash into the pillows again. Yet she couldn't find it in her to fall asleep. Not even with the blankets Mary laid out for her. Her mind was racing too much, too quickly. Peace didn't come until she could see the sun began to peak from a cluster of trees. It was only then that she somehow fell into a light, dreamless rest.

. . .

When she woke, she woke to the sound of multiple footsteps outside her door. A rather repetitive noise, but even so, she felt this was probably one of the calmest mornings she had in a while. The tall, dark drapes to her left cast the sunlight to the opposite end of the room, conveniently lighting up space without blinding her (a personal annoyance of hers that was avoided). Not one car engine could be heard and Karl's intentionally loud voice never made itself known. For once, Evie almost wanted to stay exactly where she was, to freeze that moment indefinitely. On a normal morning, she would usually be out of bed by then. She would rush to get herself ready and grab something easy for breakfast so she could start on paperwork. But there was no paperwork to be done, and right now, she felt too comfortable to care. Once she finally parted from the bed, however, got her day started, she knew that that would change. Joshua found a way to keep every bit of work away from her before she could leave London with any of it, and he did it successfully. He told her she shouldn't have any work on her plate, take this time as a break from it all. That was what she found herself falling into. It didn't mean she would enjoy it, though. Work was her one distraction from everything negative suddenly appearing into their lives and now she was deprived of that distraction. It made her think back to the night before when she saw Charlie asleep in his crib . . made her think of a solution. As much as it made her heart ache, she remembered how Mary told her that Tommy wasn't spending as much time with his son as he used to. She said Charlie could use the extra care and attention. Perhaps she could spend her time with him.

Evie settled with lying in bed till she felt she was fully awake, only sitting up once she no longer felt hazy. Her teeth were brushed, her hair was attempted to be fixed, her clothes were picked, and soon enough she stepped out into the hall again. The bedroom she was given was one of the few which had been placed at the front of the house, but that only made it all the more enjoyable for her. She had a strange preference for her room being at the front . . maybe, she assumed, because that was how it was since she was a baby. Front rooms always had grand windows for one to peer into the outside world, which was something she always loved having, although as she walked down the hallway she began to notice that this was true in not only the front, but every room of Tommy's lavish mansion. Even Charlie's had one, elongated, intricate window with pale curtains to emphasize it.

She took notice of this as she peered into the room, however her attention was quickly drawn away, leaving an exaggerated gasp to escape her lips. "Look who's awake." There Charlie was, awake and lively in his crib, now with a little smile on his face at the sight of her. Evie grinned, walking up to the piece of furniture he was confined to. "I didn't get to say hello to you last night." She knew he most likely had no idea what she was saying, although that didn't keep him from doing what she could only pin as his attempt to talk, reaching out his little hands as if he wanted to be let out. The smile on her face only widened. "C'mere you," She picked the little boy up in her arms, fixing his bedridden hair. "If my brother ever comes here, that'll be very confusing. Charlie an' Charlie."

Paying no mind to the fact that he was now trying to grab at a loose strand of her hair, Evie attempted to look for a set of clothes for him. Once she did, it became a game of wriggling and giggles, leaving her wondering if she should have just left him in his pajamas. "Oh— Good morning Miss Evie," She looked over to the door to see Mary. "I assumed you were still asleep."

"It's alright. I've only been up for half an hour." She smiled. "I'm just a quick dresser. Unlike this one." Her attention turned back to Charlie, who she had finally managed to get into his clothes. However, his feet were still bare. The older woman chuckled lightly. "Yes, he is quite squeamish."

"Have you been taking care of him these past few days, Mary?"

She nodded. "When I could. I've had three children myself so it's been no feat. I enjoy spending time with him."

Evie quirked her brow. "I reckon you've had plenty of experience too then?"

Mary never gave her an answer, rather a content smile. Small socks and shoes were handed over and placed onto Charlie's tiny feet. "Do you know where Ada is?"

"She's down in the kitchen, miss." The housekeeper informed her. "If you come with me I can tell the cooks to prepare you breakfast."

Evie nodded, doing as requested with Charlie in her arms once more. After they reached the bottom of the stairs, she could begin to hear Karl's voice from the kitchen before it even came into view, and only grinned once she saw the scene in front of her. Karl seemed to turn his breakfast into finger food, ignoring the fork next to him and shoving eggs into his mouth with his hands instead. "Good morning indeed." Evie observed, letting Mary take Charlie from her grasp so he could be fed.

Ada seemed to both sigh and laugh at the same time. "I swear he refuses to use utensils." She grumbled, eventually giving up on her attempts to get him to. "How did you sleep?"

"I'm glad I even slept at all." Evie felt a yawn suddenly come and go at her friend's words, sitting down in the chair across from them.

"I'm surprised you didn't sleep longer."

Her brow knitted together at Ada's comment. "What time is it?"

"Only twelve past eight." She paused, wiping off Karl's mouth with a rag. Ada bit her lip, fiddling with the cloth in her hands. "I didn't sleep that much either after he woke us up."

Evie hadn't forgotten what happened only hours ago, moments before the sun would've peaked over the horizon . . although the reminder made her remember it more clearly. She remembered the sounds vividly . . thud after thud of furniture, trinkets, the crash of whiskey tumblers . . anything that could've been in there with him. What the room looked like afterward was something she didn't want to think about . . but it was probably cleaned up by now. Swept away and put back together by the maids as if the night before never even happened. They were skilled in what they did, not only there to pick up after whomever their master was, but there to wipe away the bad memories that came with the mess every now and then. "Is he still asleep?"

Ada sat in thought for a moment. "I heard him walking down the hall when I got up. He must've woken just before I did but . . I have no idea where he is."

Evie let her chin lean into the palm of her hand as Mary reappeared with Charlie. She quietly thanked the maid who came behind her with a plate of food, but didn't grab for her fork right away, rather watch Ada take her nephew from the older woman's grasp. She wasn't exactly hungry, which made her begin to pick at it. But she eventually forced herself to eat at least a little bit so her stomach wouldn't be growling later. Everything felt strangely repetitive recently, as if she was reliving a routine she had gone through before. Although . . she knew there was one plausible answer sitting in the back of her mind . . but she didn't want to revisit it. That was the last thing she wanted to do. The memory that came with that answer. She knew it was there. It was locked away, pushed down into the depths of her thoughts to where she was only unconsciously thinking of it. Not quite remembering but being aware. If she allowed herself to go back then she knew those gates that kept it from running lose in her mind would break open. She worried that if she let that happen, she would be trapped . . so she pushed it further back. Shoved it down with the eggs on her plate.

"Have either of you seen Mr. Shelby recently? A call came for him just now."

"I'm afraid we haven't, Mary." Ada shook her head. "Who was on the other line?"

"I believe it was your brother, Miss Evie." She answered, turning her attention away from her employer's sister. "He didn't specifically say that he was, but he did say his name was Charlie Cardone, so I'd assume he is. He's still waiting on the line if you want to speak to him."

Evie nodded, quickly wiping her mouth. "Of course, yes." She soon stood, following the housekeeper into the hall where the telephone would be.

"Thank you Mary." She dismissed her briefly before picking up the neck of the telephone, speaking into the transmitter. "Charlie?"

"Evie?" She could hear his suddenly light tone loud and clear. "Do my ears deceive me, or is this my big sister I'm speaking to?"

"Oh, a  _marvelous_  guess on your part."

"Shut it— I was suprised." He chuckled. "What are you doing answering Tommy's telephone?"

"I'm in his house— what d'you think? The real question should be how did  _you_  get his telephone number?"

His tone was suddenly dampened. "Well, uh . ." nothing came from his end for a moment. ". . dad had Mackinnon search for it last night after we heard the news. " He paused, quickly clearing his throat. " . . but he got called away this mornin' so I'm making the call for him. Duncan telephoned us."

Evie's mouth fell into an 'o', although she seemed to forget that she never made a sound. "Evie? You still there?"

She shook her head. "Oh— yeah, sorry."

"You alright? I mean, ya know . . after what happened."

There came those dreaded words again. Evie bit her cheek. "I'm not the one that got shot, Charlie." She could feel her chest begin to tighten. His sigh carried through the earpiece. "Yeah, I know but—"

"That's why I'm here anyhow." She interrupted him, shifting her stance back and forth. "Ada and I, we're gonna stay with Tommy for a while."

"Ada's his sister, right?"

"Yeah. Younger sister."

Charlie hummed, leaving her to shift back and forth on her feet until he spoke again. "Don't let yourself repeat what you did when mum and Lia died, Ev." She could hear his tone soften immediately as she sat in the chair to the left of her. Her finger began to trail along the base of the telephone. "Yeah, I won't." She nodded.

"Evie . ."

" _I_   _won't_ , promise." She insisted.

All she received from him was a sigh. "Hey, I understand why you did, aye? I do. But you put  _all_  your focus on me back then and it wasn't good. It's never good. And I know you said you're there for Tommy but don' do with 'im what you did with me, alright?"

"Charlie, he's the one that's going through it. I'm not pushing anything back—"

"Yes, you are." He pressed. His words made her shut her mouth. "You don't think I can tell, but I can 'ear it in your voice."

Her fingers began drumming along the top of the small table. "Right." She muttered.

"Ev, seriously." His tone hardened. "Don't do that to yourself again. Promise this time."

Her lips pressed together tightly. "Alright, promise . ." She sighed through her nose, sitting in silence for a while, leaning her chin into her palm. "Ya know Tommy has a kid? He's a Charlie, just like you."

She could hear him chuckle. "I suppose I should find a way to come over there then, huh? Teach 'im 'ow to be a proper Charlie."

Evie nearly rolled her eyes. "You're about the furthest thing from proper I've ever known."

"Well, if I'm improper then what is Duncan?"

"The same . . just more so." She stated, smirking after he began to chuckle. "I do miss you though."

"I miss you too. If dad wasn't as paranoid as he was, then I would've come to see you by now."

"I could tell that much in his last letter. He said there were more threats appearing by the day— what kind of threats did he mean?"

She could hear him shift in his seat. "Ever since the war ended, there've been more gangs appearing all over the place. Edinburgh, Stirling . . . people aren't so afraid anymore . . of the big gangs,  _families_. They want a little power for themselves, an' it's almost never for good reasons."

"Clearly."

"Yeah . . and I can't leave as often as I used to anymore. I'm been dealing with a lot of  _family_  business now."

She knew that meant what they did behind closed doors, much like the Blinders. "So it's the prince of Edinburgh in the big chair now, hm?"

"I've been doing that for a while, Ev. Since so many of our guys flocked down to you I've had to take over more than I usually do." Upon hearing this, she muttered out an apology, although it was immediately brushed off. "It's not just that . . dad's hold on Scotland Yard 'as been slipping. You remember that's 'ow Duncan found you so quickly when you were kidnapped?"

"Yeah . . why?"

"Well, it's not so easy for 'im anymore. Apparently, there's another party who's bribed most of them away from us. Some organization that calls themselves the Oddfellows." Evie hummed, beginning to run her finger along the base of the telephone again. "That's why dad kept telling you to stay where you are. He didn't want to risk you being hurt or taken when you tried coming to visit us. I think one of the leaders of these Oddfellows has some . . personal vendetta against 'im, but 'e won't tell me who it is."

"It's probably better you don't, Charlie."

His scoff rang loud and clear. "Sure. After I've picked up the damn backside of our business, I shouldn't be allowed to know a simple name."

"There's a reason why papa doesn't tell you everything, you know." She reminded him. "He told me that you've had . .  _violent_  tendencies. That you react much more than you think."

He scoffed once more. "Even so . . I don' know how he expects to keep allies when 'e can't even be honest with 'is own son."

She felt a tug at her heart when she heard him say those words. "We'll be okay . . we will." Silence was all she got. "I need to go, but call again some time, alright? I'll be here for a while."

"I will."

Without another word from her brother, the line went dead. Evie hung the mouthpiece back onto the handle with a huff, immediately standing to go back to the kitchen. She walked through the house, lost in the thoughts of their conversation until she heard a shuffle of little feet. "Evie!" She caught Ada appear at the bottom of the stairs, with Charlie in her arms and Karl at her heels. "We were just going to the stables to see the horses— you want to come?"

Evie smiled at the sight. "Of course." Her gaze turned down to Karl. "I can't miss an opportunity to see the horses now can I?"

"I still need to get Karl's shoes on." Ada huffed, glancing down at her son's bare feet before looking over to her. "Why don't you take Charlie and we'll meet you back there?"

"Alright." She nodded, reaching out for the baby. "Come 'ere you."

Charlie seemed entirely different from how he was earlier that morning. When she first saw him in his crib he was as smiley as any baby could be, but now his little face was adorned with no smile at all. He held on to her for the entire walk, from departing from the stairs, to putting on their coats, to walking outside. She almost thought he was clinging to her, until he heard a horse whinny. His little head jerked up faster than she had ever seen, and suddenly he was begging to be let down. Evie let him do as he wanted, stuffing her hands in her coat pockets. "Charlie they're this way, c'mon!" She ushered him multiple times until it caught his attention, although it only left her to smile as she watched him wander about. "Over here! Look!"

He was probably the most curious toddler she'd ever seen. "Charlie c'mon." She laughed. Evie tried her best to keep an eye on him rather than allow herself to be distracted by the horses. Being that they were her favorite animal, she figured she could stay out there for the remainder of the week. Maybe longer, even. She couldn't remember a time when she  _didn't_  want to be around horses. Her grandfather was a trainer in his spare time, and when he retired from the job, he settled with teaching his grandchildren. Her father had, of course, taken over the craft, although Jaime Cardone was the one to teach her how to ride. That was how she bonded with her grandfather to begin with. Their love of horses kept them close, as it did for the entire family.

Evie watched as Charlie wandered over to the water trough, reaching down into it with his hand. She remembered learning about the goldfish in there a few weeks ago before she could wonder what he was doing. Despite being in a skirt, she squatted down, extending out her hand and ushering him over. "C'mere little man," Once he was in her arms again, she headed inside the stables, soon approaching one of the stalls. She couldn't help the grin that came across her face. The stall they walked up to housed a tall, black Friesian horse. One who began to poke his head out in curiosity. "He's beautiful isn't he?" She muttered. "Why don't I teach you how to ride someday, hm? How does that sound?"

Suddenly she heard something shift in the stables, another set of feet walking on top of the hay. Evie furrowed her brow, wondering if it was Ada, although she never heard her friends voice. That was when she saw a black coat hanging from another stall. She hadn't paid attention to anything on the opposite end of the stables until the piece of clothing caught her eye. It was only after she began to trail down the long walkway that Evie started to realize who she had missed. "Tommy." The stall door was left wide open, yet there he leaned against the wall, with a brush in hand and an untethered horse. He didn't seem to notice she was standing there at first.

"Tommy?" She said his name once more, this time catching his attention. It almost seemed as if she shook him out of a thought, because when he glanced over to her, he looked dazed. "We've been looking for you all morning."

Her comment almost went unacknowledged. He hummed. "Well, I've been here." Evie took a step back as he walked out of the stall, adjusting her hold on Charlie. Tommy didn't look up once, as he locked the stall door, as he left the dandy brush on top of a trunk, as he put his coat back on, nothing. He didn't look any better than he did the night before either. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Yeah." His answer was quick, simple, forcibly light even. When he finished was when he finally looked up, although his gaze was on Charlie. "Has he?"

"Yes." She answered just as bluntly, watching as he nodded, then turning on her heel as he began to walk past her. "I was just waiting for Ada to come out so we could let the boys see the horses." She paused in her words as he paused in his movements, which now involved taking the very Friesian she was admiring before out of his stall. "Do you want to stay and walk around with us?"

Charlie shouted out an 'ah' in an attempt to talk, also staring at his father. His action seemed to slow Tommy down, but it didn't stop him completely. He shook his head. "No, uh . . you go on ahead. I have to go."

"Go where?" She received no answer. All he did was begin to walk away with the horse at his side and the lead in his hand. "Tommy." She called out his name once more, although she was left with silence for the second time. Charlie began to whine a little as his dad walked off, but it only dampened her mood more. "I know Charlie, I wanted him to stay too." She nearly whispered. "But he has to go somewhere. He'll be back later."

 _I hope_ , she thought. Evie continued to assure him as they walked further into the stables, waiting for Ada and Karl to appear. For now, she would let the horses distract Charlie, knowing it would keep him happy for a while.


	18. Chapter 18

_January 2nd, 1919:_

. . .

Polly told her what would happen when the men came back. Her mother had spoken of it many times before, when the end of the war was still in question. At the time they were simple assumptions . . quite believable assumptions no doubt, but still, only words. Words that were difficult to hear, accept, and live with not just for her, but for all of them. Although now that the war was over, now that the blood of friends and loved ones ceased to spill, Evie found herself watching those words come to life. Physically, the soldiers would return, they would be home, but their minds . . they were lost. Broken to pieces and left in the dirt where many of their friends and brothers died.

One of the first things Arthur said to her after they met was that it wasn't just those whose life was stolen from them, it wasn't just the dead that didn't return. He didn't think anyone would come back the same as they once were, and he meant it as much as a person possibly could. What he said was no lie. Every man that came home was a mere ghost of their former selves. If they weren't . . well, that would've been seen as nothing short of a miracle. John went as far as to mumble that he'd 'hunt down the bastards that managed and ask 'em how they did it'. Nevertheless, if there truly were men out there somewhere who had managed, he knew it didn't matter. They all knew it didn't matter. The brothers were no longer the same boys walking along the streets before they went to France. No longer the cheery, familiar voices the people of Small Heath would hear. In fact, Evie saw nothing cheery about the war's end in Birmingham, only men trying to escape their demons and awaken from their nightmares. She imagined it wasn't so different in Scotland . . back home. As the days passed, there were occasional incidents where someone would unintentionally harm others or destroy things around them. This was why, for the first week after she healed from her fever, Polly told her she should only leave the house if she had to. Nothing was intentional, they knew that, but nothing was expected either. It was better to be out of the way rather than in the middle of something sudden.

The morning she met John and Arthur was when she began to see soldiers return by the dozen. The soldiers that kept her confined to the house more so than usual. Considering she had been sick, she missed the first handfuls of them, but it made no difference to what she saw flock from the station afterward. Coming down the gray concrete streets that she walked along with the youngest Shelby on the day his last brother returned. Tommy came home to Birmingham two days after his brothers, as Arthur said he would, although she wasn't there to greet him. Instead, she waited for the family on the doorstep of Polly's home with a restless Finn. Considering what Tommy was coming home from, she felt it was too much at once for her to be there at the train station. To him, and his brothers, she assumed she looked to be more of a business problem than just a guest. She definitely wasn't just the daughter of an old friend of Polly's, considering that friend was someone Polly hadn't spoken to since 1913. She was the daughter of a man that could squish them like ants if he wanted to, which was a topic she knew would come up in one way or another. Arthur and John were kind enough, actually trying to get to know her (once they were sobered up) as if she was simply a family friend, but whether or not they made the effort was neither here nor there. Her entire reason for being in Small Heath involved business. She didn't know them well enough for it to feel right to toss that in their faces the minute they came home . . or at least to do so to Tommy. Polly had already begun with his brothers, which made her hope that the subject would stay untouched for a while lessen by the minute.

Evie had Finn piggybacked and hanging onto her shoulders when she officially met Tommy. Their sheer boredom and inability to sit still left them to a game she made up. Finn's three siblings that went off to war had the same look in their eye and she recognized it immediately when Tommy came up to them. His eyes were bright, much like John's if not even more so, but they were tired. It reminded her of the similar tiredness she saw in her brother's eyes, being tired of death, and was exactly the same as what she saw in Arthur's eyes, tired of fighting. He looked as if he would walk straight through them, yet when his youngest sibling let go of her, practically attacking him with a hug, a big smile cracked onto his face. It was charming, warm, and almost contradictory to what John said he would do beforehand.

Although . . the minute introductions were made, the minute Polly said something and the words  _we need to talk_ were uttered _,_  Tommy's face changed completely. His expression matched his eyes and they were all suddenly in a situation she recognized far too well.

That situation happened nearly three weeks ago.

Nineteen days if she counted the fact that the clock on the wall read three quarters past midnight. She couldn't sleep. Hell . . she didn't think anyone it that house could right now. Polly's home was separate, containing two rooms comfortably perfect for her and Evie to stay in for the past year. The home her niece and nephews stayed in was just next to it, far enough for the right amount of privacy but not too far to make her worry over Ada and Finn when the lights would go out. The two Shelby siblings that didn't go off to war were quiet, making that house quiet, but now the rest were back.

Evie learned over the weeks that the brothers weren't loud, although she immediately realized their nightmares were. Now and again when she couldn't sleep or was simply still awake, she would hear the occasional thud, or the muffled yell. If she was downstairs, sometimes she'd hear a gasp for breath. A sound she knew all too well. It was the sound she used to make when she'd wake from her own nightmares.

Nowadays Evie never woke from one, rather fall and wake like sleep lasted for a mere minute. Dreams were hard to come by. In fact, it was a rarity that she'd dream at all, as if her nightmares scared away what little was left. Tonight, however, nothing came. No nightmares, no dreams, no sleep. She could hear Polly's familiar pacing through their thin walls, assuming that the older woman was also plagued with the restlessness. She never came out of her room, but Evie had a mind to do so. She was tired of sitting there on the mattress, staring into the curtains which fell between her and the window. Her nightdress was thin. A little too thin to go without the robe that hung at the end of her bed. So, as she tiptoed down the stairs, she quickly wrapped it around her frame. She almost regretted leaving without slippers, given the chill the stairway always trapped in during winter, but the fire she heard crackling made any thought of it disappear immediately. It made her think of the warmth she decided she would come sit next to, as well as who else might be awake. Polly never left the fireplace lit unless someone else was in the house, which was a rarity.

She almost felt pulled to go back upstairs, although before she could even consider it, she saw a familiar face illuminated by the fire.

"Don't like your own house, do you?" The sudden sound of her voice made a head of hair she saw turn around to reveal another familiar face. Evie could tell it was John who sat in his aunt's living room by his haircut, although even with the creek of the floor under her feet, she seemed to have startled him. He had an empty whiskey tumbler in his hand and the arm of the chair he sat in squished in his other. She could see Tommy's face the minute she reached the bottom of the stairs, although he too was caught in a quiet trance like his brother. Her expression fell at their jolted states, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. She came to sit in front of the fire, so that's what she would do, despite the unexpected company. John shifted in his seat, feeling awkward even with the alcohol now in his system. "Did we wake you? When we came in, I mean."

Evie shook her head. Tommy immediately stood from his seat, offering her the chair, but was waved off as she felt like standing instead. They both settled for approaching the bottle of whiskey, one which she noted as Polly's. "You know Polly 'll strangle the both of you when she finds this nearly empty."

Tommy raised his brow, tapping at the top of the bottle. "Not if we refill it."

Now it was Evie's turn to raise her brow. He definitely had a clever side, that was for certain. She hummed, taking the glass he offered to her before turning to the other brother. "You don't have to worry about waking us, John. Neither of us were asleep to begin with . . or at least I wasn't."

He was somehow amused by her statement, letting a smirk appear on his face. "You sound like Arthur." He muttered. "Me and Tom, we can 'ear 'im pacing almost every night. He doesn't sleep much."

"Doesn't seem like you do either." Evie glanced at his state, leaning against the small mantel above the fire. She could see sweat line his brow and unless it came from sitting near the fire for too long, she knew why he was there now, drinking with his brother. "I used to have nightmares too."

Her words made him shift his gaze away from the fire and up to her. With the look in his eyes, she could tell she guessed right. "Not about the same things of course but . . "

"Yeah." He mumbled, nodding his head repeatedly. John eventually reached for Polly's whiskey again, refilling his glass. Despite his calmer appearance (and the lack of sweat), she assumed that Tommy was plagued by nightmares as well. That was the most common trauma amongst the men who returned home. He seemed like he was . . although she couldn't tell by just a look. It took her a week just to figure out that Arthur drank as excessively as John. The only difference was that he'd go somewhere other than the Garrison and sleep it off until he was sober. For all she knew, he could've been cursed with the restlessness like she was and only came to keep his brother company.

"Did you know anyone that went off to France?"

The question caught her off guard, mostly because she wasn't paying attention. "What?"

"Anyone that you knew . . " Tommy paused, hesitating to finish the question, ". . were they in the war?"

Evie's expression fell into one of realization, and eventually, her head fell into a small nod. "Yes . ."  _Inhale_ , "I knew quite a lot, actually."  _Exhale_. That was what she reminded herself to do any time this subject would come up. Her gaze which had previously fallen to the floor trailed back up to the brothers, both of who looked over to her as if indicating for her to continue. She took in another breath. "My brother's best friend, who was two years younger than myself."  _Was_. That word stood out to them like a sore thumb.

"A few of my cousins, nearly every man who worked for my father . . if any of them came back I wasn't there to see them." For a moment she told herself that was all . . but it wasn't long before another name stood out in her mind. She knew she hadn't listed every person she was acquainted with . . and it made her hesitate. Both of the brothers took notice of this.

Her mouth opened, then closed. Then, "And my fiance . ." She nodded, muttering her words as if that was the only way she could. Evie dared to look back up to them to see their reactions. Thankfully, they weren't the same, pitty-filled stares that most people had given her within the last few years.

In fact, they looked at her almost as if they understood.  _Inhale_. "He died in the Battle of Somme."  _Exhale._ "In the first few weeks of it."

Despite the buzz of the alcohol in their system, the newfound information made them uneasy, even if it was just a little. Evie fell into the habit of noticing this expression after months and months of hesitating, telling, receiving condolences— both genuine and halfhearted —she'd much rather not receive. Her tragedy helped train her to notice people's body language, their subtle shifts and change of expression. She wasn't ashamed of the skill, but she hated the way it came about.

John shifted in his seat. "I'm— uh . . I'm s—"

"Don't, please," Her eyes fell shut as she began to shake her head. "I've been given enough condolences. I don't need any more."

The younger brother closed his mouth, eventually nodding in understanding. He really  _did_  understand, truly. But he didn't know what else to say.

Tommy resorted to looking down at the liquid in his glass which sat cupped, between his hands. "Do you miss him?" He muttered.

She shifted, eventually crossing her arms. "Yes." It came out in a whisper.

A long huff escaped his through his nose. Then, "But you've had enough time to grieve . . "

Evie nodded, keeping her gaze on the floor.

Now it was his turn to nod. Tommy raised his brow, barely lifting up the glass in his hand. "I'll drink to that."

That was when her gaze shifted back up to him. She watched as he downed the rest of his drink, brow creased in slight confusion.  _Had he lost someone close to him as well?_

 _"_ I 'ad a similar thing happen to me," John mumbled. "My wife, um . . she died before we went off to war."

Evie could feel her heart ache at what he told her, at the expression on his face. And yet . . she was at a loss for words. It seems the war took something from everyone.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about the admin notes i know they're annoying, but i'm back! it's been a while and my writing style has changed quite a bit lol. tommy has been really hard to write for and i'm only going to be writing for him more and more as the story goes on, so i would love to hear yall's feedback on it.

_1924_ :

. . .

What was supposed to be a morning meant for relaxing turned itself completely around, twisted into not only a morning, but an entire day spent with questioning and unmindful worrying. After Evie told Ada of her short conversation with the elder Shelby, both of them spent much of the day wondering what in the world Tommy could be doing, when he rode out into the fields as Mary said he would. The answer was not very difficult to find. Johnny-Dogs and a handful of the Lees camped not too far off from the house grounds, therefore they had a view of the rows and rows of trees that stretched out onto widespread land. Late in the evening is when Johnny would come to the house, and twice did he tell Evie that he spotted smoke far away and smelled wood burning apart from what his kin would set ablaze. He told her that only the first time did he ride over, for once he came face to face with a stoic, hunched-over display of his friend, his heart saddened at the sight, because he knew he couldn't help. He knew Tommy wasn't a talker; he never was, and it seemed he never would be.

Hearing this made her own heart sadden, but even so, it at least confirmed the claims that Mary made and the pungent smell of smoke that clung to Tommy's coat and skin. He never went about to other places, doing things that his family feared he would do out of grief. Or at least the family that did not stay with him in his house. If Evie was being honest, and Ada was too, what he was doing wasn't why they worried, not truly. Both women simply wanted to know that he would come back, and that he would come back in one piece, especially for the two-year-old that still called for his mother.

But they never heard a word, not one. Mary's assurance that he came back to the house just as the sun rose was all they received. It had been enough for Evie, but wasn't enough to ease Ada's buzzing thoughts, and it made her stand still, left to gaze out the elongated windows of her brother's home as she said she wouldn't, but ended up doing. The days continued on, and as they continued, two more times did Johnny tell them that a fire burned. Two more times were they assured that Tommy didn't wander off anywhere else. He stayed in the exact same place, returning at the exact same time, continuing the routine he was slowly beginning to drag them all into.

Evie didn't want to tell him what to do. She wasn't Polly, and she most certainly wasn't his mother, a woman she rarely heard mentioned by any of the siblings. Ada didn't want to order him around either, nor did Johnny, or Arthur. It was a well-known word that Tommy could make his own decisions, and no one went against that; no one dared try. But it left his family to talk about it like a group of gossiping women any time she'd see them. On and on they would speak of it without putting one once of action to what they said, aggravating Evie until she felt pushed to blurt out her irritation: 'why do we keep discussing it if we're never going to do anything'. Those were her words, blunt and irritated in the middle of Tommy's cold, pristinely white kitchen.

It was the one time the brothers and Michael came to visit, and they never spoke of the subject again.

Meals turned into a quiet affair. The food that she and Ada would normally eat with a subtle eagerness was picked at, pushed around until it was cold, and eventually left in the kitchen. Mary had even made a comment about it later in the evening, fussing over their well being much more than her employer's as the time went by. Evie could recall this, but it was one among only a few moments that were able to be picked out amongst the blur that was their time spent in Arrow House. Her afternoons spent sitting on the floor of the front room was another, entertaining the children with their toy horses and cars until they were too tired to go on. Everything ran together for days, and by the time the clock read half-past ten again, she was left trailing down the hall to her temporary bedroom in hopes of turning in for the night.

Her shoes were removed along the way, ceasing the clicking that echoed down the long, dark walkway of the second floor, but the cool feeling that crept onto the bottom of her feet caused her shiver, making her nearly hop onto the carpet as to save herself from an unwanted chill. She assumed she'd walk barefoot all the time if she could. For starters, it felt better than the suffocating heels that proved to be her only option for footwear, but in another sense, it felt freeing. Compared to the 'freedom' she felt by being away from her responsibilities in London, this was different. This was something she could enjoy, the same as the time she was given to spend with Charlie and Karl. The deprivation of being pushed away from her job was a whole other circumstance in her eyes, and she felt trapped by it. Much like how Tommy's routine trapped them all in his exceedingly lavish home, quietly and unknowingly, because they all went along as if they never noticed it.

She buried her feet into the carpet with every step she took, thankful for the warmth it gave that only increased the further she walked. With her attention on the bracelet tangled between her fingers, she made a beeline towards her destination, choosing to hop from the rug in the hall to the one in her bedroom. Evie had forgotten her slippers this time, unlike the first time she spent the night in this lavish place, when the halls were filled with happier times. She hated how a thing as simple as slippers could remind her of such memories. It made her huff, tossing the bracelet onto her bed so she could thrust the flimsy shoes into the wardrobe.

TING!

The jewelry fell onto something of the same material, opposite of the soft comforter she expected it to lie in. Evie tore her gaze away from the slippers, up to the bed where her bracelet was accompanied by something else. As she stood to her feet she looked down to a photograph set in a small, silver frame, the face of the man behind it just beginning to fade away. She picked the small object up, brushing her finger over the slightly dusty glass. He stared back at her as if he was alive, trapped in the picture she held, making her remember times she wished she was still in.

Henry always hated having his picture taken, but this was one he couldn't avoid, one she coaxed him into taking. He was going off to war, being one of the many who volunteered. For any soldier, it was required, but for him, it was especially necessary. He was her fiancé, after all, and she didn't have any other photographs of him. It continued to be the only one for many years, and would always be, she assumed. His mother never had any photos aside from ones of him as a child.

Evie glanced over to the nightstand that the picture would normally be sitting on, noting how she never stared at it the way she did now. She didn't remember leaving it on the bed, nor did she remember dropping it without noticing. Her brow creased, making her wonder.

Then another noise caught her attention.

The house had been as quiet as the dead until a shuffling of feet across the hall broke the silence. She could hear every sound on the second floor when she wasn't asleep. From the crackling of fires in a few rooms to the rain that fell against the windows one night, to the small patter of the maids' shoes. She heard it all, and this was no different. Apart from her curiosity, of course.

Her head peeked out from her room, turning left, turning right, then specifically turning to Ada's room. She found no answer.

But then, the feet shuffled again, this time more clearly, coming from the last room she expected. With the sun now set, Evie assumed her friend would return to the woods ... but the sneaking suspicion that sat in her mind wouldn't leave her alone. So, her feet quietly crossed the hall. She gripped at the door when it came within her reach, not pulling at it, but simply looking behind it. Sure enough, there he sat on the edge of the bed, clutching an empty tumbler.

She knocked on the wood twice.

Tommy looked up immediately— ready to tell Mary to quit nagging him about eating, perhaps —but he never spoke. He simply stared at her blankly, as if knowing she was going to talk first.

He wasn't entirely wrong.

She pushed the door open before wrapping her hands around her waist. "I thought you'd be off again."

He hummed at her choice of words. "So did I." The glass in his hand was left on the nightstand. "But here I am."

There he was, indeed. And looking better than he did the last she saw him. When Evie found him in the stables his hands shook and his complexion was much paler in contrast. Now he sat still, color returning to his lips and cheeks again. She didn't want to turn into a scolding mother, but she knew it was much too cold for anyone to stay outside all night with nothing but an overcoat and a fire that wouldn't last as long as he needed.

So to see him here, in the improved state that he seemed to be in, or at least was inching to, made her expression soften. She leaned her side against the wall to her right, staying just in front of the open door. Tommy sat still, dragging his hands over his face until he decided to rest his chin on them and look to her once more. "Charlie loves them horses, doesn't 'e." It wasn't a question, rather quiet statement used to break the silence between them.

But it made a small smile tug at her lips all the same. "Just like his father,"

His frown only stayed in place. "I listened." was what he said.

She stood there like a piece of furniture, unmoving and silent in her newly appeared confusion.

He continued, "Your voice, his voice. I heard you well before you found me in the stables that morning. It was all I could hear- ..." at this, his gaze trailed down, scanning over his hands, "... I thought I was imagining things. Made me hands shake."

He didn't have to explain for her to understand what it meant when his hands shook. The minute she saw it, real and in front of her in the stables, she knew what made it so. It wasn't from the cold, or the lack of sleep and food. The reason he shook was for the same reason she was there, what had put them all in this situation to begin with, and what she should have been talking to him about. His hands shook because Grace had taken Charlie to the stables many times, and when Evie did, until he realized it was her, he imagined it was another one of those times.

The mention of it made them silent, left to listen to the faint tick of the clock on the wall.

If Ada was there in place of her, she would've continued, taken a chance and pushed her brother to talk more about it, because that was what she was good at. But Evie, she wasn't good at it. So instead, she reminded herself of what she found earlier, then asked, "Why did you place the photograph on my bed?"

He gave her an equally puzzled look. "What?" he asked as he stood, taking his empty glass with him.

"The photo of Henry, why did you put it there?"

Tommy stared straight ahead, listening, as he approached the jar of whiskey. "Who's to say it was me?" He dodged her question with another question, looking down to grab another glass.

"Ada's never been one to mess with my things," She began, pausing to shake her head when he silently offered her a drink. "and if Mary or one of the maids found it, they would've put it on the nightstand."

Silence came over them for a moment.

He blinked. "Alright, it was me."

Evie allowed his words to hang in the air, watching as he trailed back to where he previously sat.

Furrowing his brows, he said, "Am I in trouble?"

It was a hollow quip, one that made her push down a smirk that attempted to stretch onto her lips. "On the contrary," She countered, removing her arms from her waist to cross them over her chest. "I would like to know why you'd bother, though."

Tommy nursed the alcohol in his hand, swirling it around, biting at his bottom lip in thought. "You told me long ago that he was your fiancé."

"I did," She answered him curtly.

A pause, then, "You never told me how he died."

Her eyes narrowed as he brought his drink to his lips. "Yes I did," She contradicted, "I told you he died in the Battle of Somme."

Tommy shook his head. "No, that's  _where_  he died. You never said how."

She looked at him thoughtfully, wondering what he was implying. The obvious question was clear: how did her fiancé die.  _But of all things_... Hesitantly, she asked, "Why do you want to know?"

"He was to be your husband, wasn't 'e?" He dodged her questions once more. "They'd have to send you a letter of some sort to tell you how it happened."

 _Husband_ , she thought. That one word connected two loose ends in her mind, pushing away the annoyance she felt when he wouldn't answer her, pushing enough to make her look away from him. Evie chewed on her lip and let out a deep breath all at once, deciding against her apprehensiveness because she knew he would only push. Not harshly of course, but still push, because she had already told him the rest. She began to wrack her brain for memories of the letter she received from Henry's Battalion, trying to separate it from the mass cluster of everything she pushed into the back of her head. She didn't have to try very hard. It was, in fact, an easy thing to remember, but talking of it was a whole other challenge.

So her eyes fell shut, and she took in a breath before beginning, "A friend he made wrote to me about it. He said that Henry wasn't placed in the front line of their Battalion, but there were so many being knocked down that he pushed his way forward." She licked her lips, unconsciously placing her hands back around her waist. "Their comrades started falling like flies so he and a handful of other men marched forward in an attempt to spare anyone else from dying. Jack, his friend, he almost got himself killed but in the end, Henry saved him."

Tommy nodded slowly, looking down to the floor, downing his drink, then discarding the glass before staring down at the cold surface once more.

"He died the way Freddie could've."

She hated hearing that.

Evie said nothing, fiddling with the sleeve of her dress so she wouldn't pick at the skin behind her nails. A nasty habit, but it was something she always did when she didn't know what else to do, and right now, she was attempting to keep herself from falling into it. It wasn't the best idea, speaking about Henry in the way that she had just done, reminding herself of his death after falling into the memory of him. She wished she never let her thoughts go that far.

With another deep breath, she muttered, "I shouldn't 've said that much." But she couldn't help it. It all poured out like a flood. "Should 've just said he died saving a friend."

Dampened blue eyes stared back at her. "I'm glad you didn't." Tommy countered.

She huffed lightly, feeling unwanted wetness threatening to fall from her eyes. "I'm not." Her words came out just above a whisper, but he heard her still.

Tommy could see she fought a rising regret, perhaps discomfort, from revisiting her past. He didn't know if it was his initial request, the reminder of how her fiancé died, or simply speaking of it again. He assumed it was all three, but he didn't mean— nor want —to make her act the way she was now.

"Evie sit down." He practically ordered her, quietly, but ordered all the same. She moved, but not to his hand which had patted the edge of the bed. Instead, she sat on the small couch to his left, leaving her frame to disappear in the darker corner. It hid all but her face and shoulders, which were caught under the light of the moon that peered through the window next to them.

He licked at his chapped lips, glancing at her bare feet which now sat tucked underneath her on the cushion. "I didn't want to make you sad."

A smile ironically crept onto her face. "I was already sad, Tom. About a lot of things." She told him, dragging her fingers roughly over her eyes. She sighed deeply through her nose, opening her mouth to continue.

Then, "Evie?" a small voice called her name.

They both looked to the doorway, eyes landing on a sleepy five-year-old rubbing at his eye.

"Karl, what are you doing up?" She spoke softly, letting her hand fall onto her lap.

He frowned, murmuring, "I can't sleep."

Her downcast expression melted almost instantly into one of compassion, and Tommy could see it clear as day. His nephew had her wrapped around his little finger.

As she stood, she asked, "Why didn't you go to your mother's room?"

"I heard you talking." was all he said.

Evie looked down to her friend's son warmly, wanting to resolve his problem as she always did when sleep wouldn't come, but the thought of her previous conversation made her crane her neck around. Tommy's expression hadn't changed in the slightest, aside from the bit of interest that now settled in his gaze. He hadn't seen much of his nephew in the past year, whether it be business or personal responsibilities that kept him, but to watch him cling to Evie was nothing short of what he expected. That boy had known her since he was in his mother's belly.

She looked back to Karl almost immediately as she turned her head around. He stared up at her with big, sleepy eyes, and in return, she looked down at him with a small smile, wrapping her hand around his shoulders. "C'mon, let's leave your uncle be an' go find 'er."

The little boy grabbed at her hand with both of his smaller ones. "Can I stay here?" he begged, "Please?"

Evie was aware that she was somewhat compliant when it came to him. One gaze of those deep brown eyes he got from his father and she would cave. But not this time, because there was a pair of blue eyes staring into her back. She pressed her lips together before squatting down to Karl's level. "I don't think Tommy would be pleased with that." she told him quietly, "He needs his sleep too. You know that, don't you?"

He nodded his little head sheepishly, looking down to his bare feet.

"I wouldn't mind it." The very person she spoke of poked his way into their conversation.

Evie craned her neck around once more. After a moment of hesitation, she asked, "Are you sure?"

Tommy bobbed his head in confirmation. "Of course," his tone had changed since his nephew appeared. "He can sleep right here in my bed." He told her, patting at the mattress. It was an action that made Karl's eyes shine a little brighter, and his hands tug on Evie's.

"Can I, Evie?" He was practically itching for her approval, making her all but unable to say yes.

With a huff, she nodded, "Alright." She ruffled at his wavy hair before placing her hands just below his shoulders. "Shall we show your Uncle Tommy what we do when we can't fall asleep, hm?"

Karl nodded eagerly. With a quick swoop, the five-year-old was in her arms, sporting a little smile.

"How about you start?" Evie whispered for him to go on, earning another nod.

Tommy was— to say the least —curious when his nephew began to sing quietly, and in another language no doubt. His attention was drawn in by the boy's small voice. And as Evie carried him closer to the bed, she began to sing herself, helping Karl along as he started to forget the words.

"Uiseag bheag dhearg na monadh duibh," They both sang softly, one small and the other quiet.

He couldn't quite pin the words to any specific language, but he felt the gears begin to turn in his head, attempting to answer his question. Whether it was their voices or the words, or both put together, he didn't know, but it was utterly soothing. Almost too soothing, as he still sat still where he was, nearly forgetting to move. But he eventually broke free of his trance, standing to push back the covers for Karl.

"Cait do chaidil thu'n raoir 's an i,"

He didn't mind someone else sleeping in that bed. He could sleep anywhere in this grand structure that he called home. Anywhere but his bedroom, the one where Grace slept, the one he designed for his wife. That room taunted him like the devil, playing with his mind, reminding him of how, and why, it was now empty. It was cold, devoid of life, because there was no longer any life to fill it. And he couldn't look at it.

"Chaidil mi'n raoir air bharr an dris,"

But he could look at what was in front of him. He could watch as his nephew sang himself to sleep, he could listen to Evie's voice as she carried a tune in a language he couldn't understand. Because none of it reminded him of the woman he had loved. It instead distracted him, made his hands still, and remind him of everyone else in his life that he cared for. Two of which rested on the bed, continuing to sing quieter and quieter, until one stopped.

Karl's eyes fluttered shut, leaving Evie's soft singing as the only sound until she too stopped. She thanked the Lord for giving her that moment, taking her away from what was originally a place she didn't want to be. She stroked his temple, looking down at him fondly and mumbling, "It never fails to work on him."

Tommy tore his eyes away from the sleeping child, unable to tuck away the curiosity that made him ask aloud, "What language were you singing in?"

"Gaelic," She answered simply, " _Scottish_  Gaelic." Her eyes pointed up at him, making sure he knew the right name, for Irish was the second among the Gaelic tongues; very similar, but to her, completely different. The look he gave her was growing in curiosity, silently asking her to continue. With one last stroke to Karl's head, she turned away from him to look at his uncle. "My mother sang the same lullaby to me when I couldn't sleep. It eased my troubles, so, I thought it could ease his. I've been singing it to him for a few years now."

Tommy relaxed onto the couch with his lighter in hand and a cigarette in his mouth, seemingly switching their previous roles. "And did she teach you?" His words came out muffled as he flicked a small flame to life.

Evie hummed. "My father, actually. He told me once that he spoke Gaelic to me when I was in my mother's belly, hoping my first word would be in the language." she blinked, her head bobbing to the side, "It wasn't, but he still taught me as I grew up." She trailed off at the feeling of Karl shifting. He murmured in his sleep, moving around as if he was dreaming. It was something she was quick to hush with a comforting rub at his little arm, and eventually, he stopped, clinging to the pillow he lied on.

Quietly, she continued, "Charlie speaks it as well. He did the same with him." The smoke that rose above Tommy's head made her stop, distracted her from the hesitation that made itself known once the room went quiet again. It caught his attention as well, making him look up at her expectantly. Anyone apart from the Shelbys would have assumed she was done, but Tommy was not among that crowd. He and his family knew her well. He recognized the expression that now sat on her face, which was why his stare made her continue. "He taught Amelia too- ..." at this, she drew in a breath and blew out softly through her lips, combing at her bangs for no particular reason before shaking her head, ".. but she could never get it right."

There it was, that same hesitation in her voice, parallel to the way she spoke of her late fiancé. No one was fond of reliving bad memories, that much he knew, and Evie was most certainly no exception. Speaking of times one would rather not causes a pang to hit their chest, their mouth to go dry, and sometimes, their voice to hitch. It all tangled together into one, sour feeling that most would rather avoid, including himself. Right now, however, Tommy began to wish he had been the one talking about his sorrowful memories, because the sadness in her voice made him regret, made him hate that his questions led to it and that his stare made her talk.

He was aware of how her mother and her sister died. Hell, every gangster, rich man or poor man, and politician within hours of Edinburgh was aware. He knew it all too well, first reading about the event in a letter from his aunt, then hearing it from a pair of Scottish soldiers that sat by him when he traveled home. Evie's name was the first he heard from their mouths, reminding him of how Polly told her she was there with her. In Birmingham. Not home, where she should've been.

 _She never has gone home_ , he thought. But then, as the room went quiet once more, he suddenly remembered, "I never gave you my condolences," he muttered, "Not a word of it. Nothing."

"Because I cut you off before you could," She told him, "I told you I didn't want them," Evie recalled the way she hated to hear those words fall from people's mouths, over and over, then over again. They were hollow, those words, and it nearly drove her mad. With a short breath, she added, "The same way I know you don't want condolences for Grace."

Tommy paused before he could place the cigarette between his lips, blinking, then letting his hand fall to his knee. His lips pressed together as he unconsciously gripped his 'nasty' habit tighter in his grip. The words she spoke were of the thing he dreaded to hear for the entirety of their conversation, and now that it hung in the air, it felt ten times worse. The cigarette was stubbed out with his foot and his hand was run roughly over his eyes, just as Evie's was when he brought up thoughts that haunted her. It seemed that couch was nothing more than a place where they faced parts of their pasts that they didn't want to face, whether long ago or a handful of days since.

Her deep, dragged out-breath caught his ear. "I won't talk about it. I know you don't want to... but I want you to promise something."

He looked up to her, and with a hand pressed firm onto the mattress, she stared at him hard in return. "Don't forget to take care of yourself."

In a mutter, he repeated, "Take care of myself," Tommy shook his head, thinking the phrase silly.

"Yes," was her answer, plain and firm. "Don't fall into- ..." a hand waved out to the room, "...  _this_."

"And what, exactly, have I fallen into, Evie? Hm?" In other words:  _I can't promise that_. His voice was quiet, gruff from the cigarette he had smoked.

She blinked, looking down to the floor between them. A pained feeling grew in her gut. "Just tell me you'll try." her lips twisted into a frown as her gaze lifted back to him.

She couldn't count on a rally board, nevermind her fingers, how many times someone mentioned the blue of Charlie Shelby's eyes. At two years old, they were already deep, icy, and drew in everyone who caught a glimpse of them. It was dangerous; a road to trouble in the years to come, no doubt, and the man who gifted him with those ocean eyes was staring right back at her with his own, without a clue as to what he could say.

Tommy hardly denied her anything, whether back then or nowadays. It seemed childish, really; hard to believe to most, but despite the unintended orders, quips, and arguments he would always win, it was the truth. He  _did_  have a hard time telling her no. It was what it was, and he knew it well. Evie always had a way with people, unintentionally— but sometimes intentionally —swaying them in with her quiet but kind words. She was genuine and patient, selfless in her own way, with a heart large enough to fill ten of him. All qualities of a naive, young girl who knew much less and lived much less than she thought. Yet, Evie was not that girl. She wasn't naive, she had seen more than a girl should have, and lived more lives than a woman needs to by the time they reach the age of thirty. The circumstances of her life thrust her into anything and everything that she didn't deserve to see or know. But even after it all, there she sat in his house, worrying over his wellbeing rather than her own.

It confused him to no end: how someone could be so kind after going through a trauma such as hers. She had every right to be cold and callous, yet she rarely was. Rarely, unless she was pushed around; poked and prodded at like a child being observed under the scrutinizing eye of their parent. The temper that kept her true to her heritage; the Shelbys saw that side of her more than anyone else, aside from her brother, perhaps. Arthur once told her she didn't need to tuck that part of herself away when she was with them, and she was with them for a long time now. But still, sometimes more than none, she did it anyhow, keeping to her kindness and what Tommy deemed to be 'over-worrying'. In reality, it was simply  _worry_ , with nothing overbearing about it. But he would argue otherwise, of course, because he disliked the feeling of someone worrying over him, and he wasn't used to it.

He couldn't deny her, no, but he couldn't promise to do what she asked either, because he disliked it as well. So, he was left to drop his gaze down to the floor.

Her gaze was hardened, one, from opening a growing flood of memories she once had tucked away, two, because she could read his face as clearly as the palm of her hand, and already knew what his answer was. His family always thought he was a difficult person to get through to and, in a way, she agreed with that. But not entirely. He was difficult because he wouldn't talk, that much was clear to his kin, but she understood it. She understood it because she did that herself. It was why— when in Birmingham —Polly frowned at her reluctance to talk, and why Ada couldn't understand when she came down for breakfast with a glum look on her face. Like him, she wasn't a talker, and it never helped when she was stuck, because if she felt stuck, then she assumed she'd stay stuck. And she would somewhat until something or someone finally dragged her out.

With everything she saw and heard in the last handful of days, she had a feeling Tommy was doing the same thing. Distracting himself with everything else under the sun just so he could avoid the subject, leaving it for so long that eventually, people gave up, and let it sit in the corner of his mind like a weed. She had a feeling and believed that feeling was true, because she had a couple weeds of her own, and she didn't want him to share the same ones. She wanted to stay and try, like Ada would, help keep him away from what she fell into.

Tommy, however, was more stubborn than the worst horses.

So, even with all her stubborn feeling and care, Evie stood from the bed, twisting on her bare feet to give Karl one last glance and assure herself he was alright. Once satisfied she then turned around, beginning to walking away slowly.

"I will sleep here... -" but at the sudden sound of his voice, she stopped in her tracks to turn back around. He looked over to her, continuing, "if it makes you go to sleep yourself."

His tone changed as if he was conducting a business deal, agreeing to one thing in order to gain another. It wasn't needed, of course. He didn't need to speak to her like a businessman in order for them to meet on the same field, but, at the same time, it couldn't exactly be helped. Tommy sometimes talked to his family and his friends the same way he'd talk to associates— something that bothered Polly very much — without realizing. Granted, it annoyed her as well, but she knew him well enough, so she nodded all the same, then left him be.

He wasn't promising to do what she asked, nor was he even making a promise. He wasn't listening to her requests or giving in to the worrisome nagging of his housekeeper, but he was doing something that eased her mind enough to make her leave the room: compromising. He met her halfway, and when she left, he did indeed, sleep in his own house.

But he only did it the one time.

Tommy slept in a bed that night, although once the sun rose, he went back to what he was doing before. He trailed right back to the woods once the dark came again, and thus did his former routine begin again, leaving Evie to join his sister at the elongated windows of his home. They seeped into the walls with their thoughts, waiting idly and doing nothing otherwise.

A band of ghosts they were becoming ... a band of ghosts indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for the most part i was lost with where i wanted this story to go but now that i've had some time and have developed evie's character (and her history) i finally have a clear path! so y'all will be seeing more explanations to some things i left open as well as a huge dive into her family history/family business history very soon!
> 
> p.s. the song that evie sang to karl is a scottish gaelic lullaby called 'little red lark'.
> 
> thanks for the kudos i've received on this story recently, i appreciate it a ton!


	20. Chapter 20

Evie watched on as Charlie ran about the gardens, exploring everything he came across from a withering flower on the edge of a white rose bush to the same three goldfish in the water trough, sticking his hand in the water to say hello. Ever since they arrived at the estate, every morning was presented with graying clouds and a drizzle that kept the afternoons cold and too chilly for the boys to go see the horses, aside from the one time, and far too chilly to play outside. But now, for the first time in a while, the morning was sunny and by afternoon, left the once cold roads warm enough for one to walk without shoes if they wished. Karl was finally freed from the dark halls he deemed as a prison, left to run around the back of the estate at a much faster pace than his cousin, skipping and jumping about all while giving his mother a much-unwanted headache.

The day he came into the world was the day Evie expected another Ada Shelby to frolic about the streets of Birmingham, causing trouble and getting out of it just as easily, and she was not surprised to see that over the years, her prediction was slowly coming true. He was a perfect mix of his parents, with the deep, dark eyes of Freddie Thorne and the clever, hell-raising nature of his mother as well as the rest of her kin. And while he seemingly left his little cousin in the dust from his shoes, Charles was no different. Just nearing the age of two he already sported a spirit set for mischief with a grin to match, coming together to give him whatever his little heart desired. He was his father's son, just as Karl was Ada's.

Evie envied the siblings sometimes, even if their lives were made out to be nothing but nightmares and headaches. They had children; something of a family for themselves despite being unperfect pictures and no longer whole.

It wasn't always a priority in her life, having children. Given one parent yearned for her to do something she enjoyed while the other hoped she'd continue the family legacy in his name, the thought simply never came to the forefront of her mind. But there was still a part of her that wanted for it; a part that suddenly blocked out everything else when she met Henry. They were a pair of twenty-year-olds who walked in blind puppy love turned first love, and when he proposed, all either of them wanted to do was marry and break off from their families to start one of their own. She thought it a foolish dream now that she looked back on it, foolish and ignorant, and too much at once for a couple that young. They were still children themselves; still children the last time they saw each other, and still children when he was off fighting in the war. It simply wasn't something they could handle.

And the world seemed to agree, because it was the world that took him from her.

So yes, she did think it foolish. But now, nearly ten years later, as she walked around the grounds of an estate that wasn't her own, Evie felt herself yearn for that dream again. Now, as she helped take care of little boys who didn't share her blood, she would've given anything for it. Even if she couldn't have handled it, if the Lord came and asked her if she would to go to hell and back so she could have that chance again, she would've. But he didn't come, and she wasn't asked.

Her life, instead, moved on, pushing her to move with it. And now she was here, keeping her eye on a child who shared her brother's name; a child she had long since been fond of and only grew attached to as the days passed. It was dangerous territory, really, but she found herself already immersed in it, much too deep and too far to climb out.

"Charlie, no, we don't climb in there!"

Breaking herself away from a horse that had taken her attention, Evie rushed over to the boy in a haste, scooping him up in her arms before he could climb into the trough. She had been a bit too late in grabbing him, though, now that one leg and one arm were wet along with his hands and face. Charlie giggled, making her giggle herself as she tried to wiggle off the shoe he had already stomped into the water. Half of his clothes were soaked, so back into the house they went, spending an afternoon in the bathroom attempting to wash the smell of trough water away.

It was there that Mary had found her, making a fuss after coming face to face with the scene and insisting she take over Charlie's unexpected bath. But she was shooed off in a matter of seconds.

Evie didn't mind spending her time with him in the way that she was. It was something to do, something to keep her hands away from the telephone, dialing the number of Joshua's flat in a hollow attempt to return to her work. It kept her mind off of the possibilities of what she  _could_  be doing, which in reality, were things that would stay unmoving whether she messed with them or not. She was much like her father in that way, always needing something to do to keep her thoughts quiet, to keep her nails from tapping along the tables. It was why, at first, she thought of Arrow House as an unconventional hell. Intentions for being there aside, with the span of time they were staying being left in the air, she knew she would grow restless if she didn't busy herself with something ... anything.

So, despite the splashing and wiggling, she took it upon herself to do something that Mary would normally do. She washed Charlie clean of his little adventure near the stables, dressed him, played with him and eventually Karl once he came inside because he still wasn't tired. All of this, then the addition of dinner without seeing hide nor hair of anyone since she came back inside. All but Mary of course, who conveniently appeared any time she was needed. Even as the clock struck well past eleven, she was where she needed to be, finding Evie asleep with a book and replacing it with a blanket.

. . .

Five nights had they been there.  _Five nights_ , and he'd barely given them the time of day. Even in his grief, Tommy could feel a buzzing at the back of his mind like an itch he couldn't scratch; an itch that consisted of two women and a boy, taking time out of their lives to be with him and his son. He couldn't understand why they did so.  _Liar. You know exactly why_. He was barely there for them to see, to talk to and comfort, to do what they came there for as he knew they would try to do. For the entirety of the time the sun was up, he was either distracting himself with the horses or isolating himself in his drawing-room-made-office. And when the sun went down, out into the grounds he rode, sitting close to a fire in hopes that it would burn away the memory of why he was there now. Because sleep, in all its glorified necessity, wouldn't do that for him.

He was making a point to avoid them- locking himself away when they would come down the stairs and riding off when they would near his room -and it had been working. Working, up until two nights before, when Evie coincidently found him at the time he chose not to go off into the dark, staying up with a flame rather than lying with sleep.

In truth, he didn't want it to overcome him, trap him, present him with a whole new batch of nightmares to snuff out. But he tried. After he told her he couldn't and she disappeared back into the dark halls, he tried; with Karl huddled in one corner of the mattress, he sat on the other, leaning against the headboard instead of a pillow.

The buzzing was loud that night, but now it was practically aggravating, and he was stuck in a state where he felt pulled to stay in his house.  _You can't deny them anything, can you?_

His feet trudged from grass, to gravel, to wood, taking him through the corridors and towards the stairs. The house was quiet, as it was expected to be during this early hour, but his shoes shuffled and stomped, moved along loudly as if he wanted to break that silence.

"I've finally caught you."

He could recognize her voice no matter how sleepy it sounded.

It wasn't entirely unexpected for him to run into his sister. Ada was always the sneaky one, nearly scaring the life out of him and his brothers a handful of times when she was just a girl. Right now, however, it was the early hours of the morning and he had yet to see her awake at such a time.

Jerking off his cap, he asked, "What're you doin' up?"

"I woke with a start about an hour ago," she told him. "Couldn't go back to sleep, so I came down to the kitchen for a cup of tea. Been up ever since."

Ada paused, taking a whiff of the air, almost immediately scrunching her nose in distaste. With a hand over her nose, she pointed her jostled gaze towards her brother, asking, "Are you ever going to take a bath? The smoke is clingin' to your skin."

His eyes narrowed. "I take baths, Ada,"

"Not enough of them. The smell is suffocatin'," she retorted, taking another sniff before tugging lightly at his sleeve. "Or maybe it's that coat you keep wearin'."

Her words pulled a sigh from him, making him begin to shrug off the very piece of clothing she spoke of. "If I get rid of the coat- ..." he pulled it from his arms, folding it over his hand, "-will you leave me be?"

He shook the coat in her face before throwing it over the banister, returning to his original reason for coming to the house and ascending the stairs. But Ada followed him.

Hesitantly, she asked, "Do you have a lot of work to do today?"

"The same amount as I always do, Ada."

A few thuds of their feet, then, "Well, Evie and I: we planned on going into the city later to do a little shopping-"

Tommy suddenly turned around to her just as they reached the top of the stairs. "You're goin' alone?"

"We're goin' to take Karl and Charlie with us but, yeah. I suppose."

His head shook. "No," he told her, "no. You take someone with ya- ..." at this, he pointed a finger at her, then resumed his path down the hall. "And don't take Charlie."

Ada looked at her brother's back incredulously. Moving to follow him, she asked, "Why not?"

The click of his shoes was all she received in answer and she soon fell into place with his steps, reaching his side.

"Tommy, he needs to get out of the house," she tried reasoning, "and frankly, so do you-"

She was cut off again, but this time by his raised hand and a hush. They had stopped in front of Charlie's room- the place Ada expected they were walking to -so she was confused as to why he halted so suddenly, shushing her like a child. Although her head soon turned to gaze at what her brother was gazing at, and she was met with the sleeping form of her friend.

Her nephew's room was as it always was, a toy left stranded on the floor, the delicate curtains opened slightly, Charlie whisked away in a peaceful sleep; all but the large chair in the corner that was normally empty, which Evie was now cuddled into with a blanket hanging from her lap and an open book hanging over the arm. She was whisked away just as soundly as the child in the crib across from her.

Tommy turned to his sister, whispering, "Did you know she was in here?"

"I saw her in here last night when I was going to my own room," she whispered back, "but she was awake, so I just assumed she went to bed after I did."

Their gazes turned back to the scene in front of them. Charlie's little hands twitched while his chest moved up and down in a fast pace as most babies' do. Evie, however, lied in the chair unmoving, breathing much deeper and slower. She was out cold.

The shuffle of Ada's shoes broke their short-lived silence. "I'll wake 'er up."

"Hey- no," Tommy grabbed at her arm before she could get very far, guiding her back to the doorway. "It's fine. Just leave 'er."

Blinking, Ada moved behind him, letting him step further into the room. He intended to check on Charlie as he always did in the mornings, but she was keeping him from doing so.

A pause, then, "Why don't you come with us later, Tom?"

"Ada," he turned around to her once more, still whispering, brow raised, "why don't you go back downstairs and we'll talk about it sometime later, yeah?"

She gripped at the doorframe before he could shoo her out, asking, "Will 'sometime later' be before the sun goes down?"

Silence came over them as he glanced down to her shoes. But then he looked up to her, answering, "I'll think about it."

Ada didn't budge, unconvinced and unmoved by his passive responses as she had been for many years.

" _I will_ ," he insisted, ushering her out of the room, "Now go."

Most times Polly could never tell who was the more stubborn between the two of them, especially when they were children. Any time either of them set their mind to something, those around might as well just sit back and watch, whether it was something mischevious like jumping into a river out in the country or swiping chocolates from the sweets shop, or something as simple as refusing to get out of bed when told. No one could change their minds; not their aunt, their friends. Nowadays that stubbornness only grew with Tommy's ambition, pushing him on and giving him what he wanted. Ada, however- despite her ferocity being stronger than ever -was beginning to become lackadaisical in his eyes; passive, if he would, to certain things. He thought of this when she conceded to his words with a huff, glancing behind him towards her friend one more time before leaving him be.

He let out a huff of his own, turning around once again to see the sleeping face of his son. Normally, Mary would have woken him before Tommy came through the doors. Like clockwork, she would have him awake and fed, there to say hello to his father- whether it was with a smile or not -before he would disappear into his offices. But she didn't, because like everyone but his sister, Mary was still asleep.

Tommy broke his routine, returning before the sun fully rose.

He came back early because there was an itch he couldn't scratch and a buzzing in his head.

He wanted so badly for it to stop, to be able to shut the door and not feel its nagging. But the buzzing wouldn't stop for there were two reasons for its persistence, and they wouldn't leave him no matter how uncomfortable, quiet, or compliant they might've seemed.

It was why when he took his hand away from his son, reassuring himself he was safe and cared for, that his gaze stopped on Evie and his feet planted him where he stood on their own accord. He didn't move- felt like he couldn't -not until he saw the blanket begin to fall from her lap and his arms fell limp at his sides. Only then did he will himself forward, draping the quilt over her shoulders, then move out of the room, now mindful of his steps.

. . .

Regent's Park had been scarce when they arrived, the sky above them dotted with graying clouds and white puffs in between, making the sunlight that could break through a pale, white gleam. Most who Evie often saw stroll down the winding paths had kept themselves hidden in their homes for fear it might rain, as their driver had warned them when he escorted them back through the familiar roads of their home. It was cold, and she assumed that those who did not fear for the chance of a shower stayed cuddled in their houses because of it. But Charlie and Karl loved the chill. They loved the crispness of the air despite being bundled up- rather unable to move as freely -in layers of wool and tweed, and perhaps played as much as a toddler and five-year-old could.

By the time they were pried away from the stretch of faded greens and browns, the prior could do all he could not to fall asleep, but Evie welcomed the littlest Shelby in her arms, letting him sleep away the time they spent walking by the boutiques of Primrose Hill.

"So you couldn't convince him, could you?"

With a huff, Ada shook her head curtly. "I can't convince him to do anything right now," she told her solemnly, "I could never convince him to do anything, really. But now it's just... -" she bit her lip, thinking, "more so."

A hum escaped Evie's mouth. "But you convinced him to let Charlie come along?"

She caught a hum of the opposite tone from behind her. "It was more so Mary that did," Ada admitted, "He wasn't too keen on bein' asked by me again after I bombarded him with the question so early in the mornin'."

Evie felt a smirk tug at her lips. She knew why her friend was going on about it in the way she was, and understood much more than expected, whether it was because of the years she spent with them or her own brother possessing the same trait. Either way, if it was one or the other- or even both -she rose her brow, aware of the situation.

"If it makes you feel any better, Ada, you're not alone in that." Evie glanced back to her friend to give a reassuring smile, then glanced down to the boy in her arms, adjusting the hat that was slipping from his head. With a short inhale and exhale of the cool air, she continued, "I spoke to him a few nights ago."

"You spoke to 'im?" she received a 'mhm'. "What about?"

Evie twisted her body to the left, slowing down once they came to a certain shop window. Her lips pressed together before she thought aloud, "I'm not entirely sure," she began, admiring the coat that stood in the middle of the small display before them, "It was just unnecessary chatter at first .. although somewhere along the way he coaxed me into telling him about Henry."

Ada's eyes widened slightly. "Henry?" at this she ushered Karl along, bringing her friend and nephew with her, "I 'aven't heard you speak of him since we first came to Primrose."

"Exactly."

Evie let out a deep sigh, attempting to adjust her coat collar and keep hold of Charlie in one arm while she did so. A moment of silence overcame them. Then, "But I think there was a reason he got me to talk about it," she told her, wrapping her arm back around the toddler, "Henry wasn't killed the same way Grace was, but .. he was my fiancé. I loved him, and I think Tommy was curious as to how I dealt with it..."

"Because he's dealing with it now," Ada finished for her.

She bit at her lip. "I think he just wanted some form of assurance."

Now it was Ada's turn to sigh, muttering, "I wish I knew how I could assure him." Her words were meant to go unheard, but Evie caught them, throwing an incredulous look towards her friend.

She said, "What are you goin' on about? You've been nothing  _but_  assuring."

"Not as much as I could be," Ada argued, "He's my brother, and I went through the loss of my husband too. I should know how to do this- ...," she paused to lick her lips, looking to her friend with upturned brows and a brief shake of her head, "but I  _don't_."

Evie's expression softened. She halted, making them all halt, and pulled Ada's hand into her own. Softly, she told her, "You don't have to know how to, Ada. No one ever does with things like this."

Ada's eyes drifted down to her son. Giving him a small smile, she quietly replied, "I know," her gaze lifted back up, first to the boutique they had come to, then to Evie, "Even with everything we've been through, though, I still wish we had a handbook on life sometimes. How to navigate all this shit without loosin' our minds."

Both women broke into a giggle.

"Ms. Cardone!"

A familiar voice called from behind her. Evie turned away from her friend, furrowing her brow before she said, "Ollie?"

He had been only a few feet away from them, carrying a bag over his shoulder that filled to the brim with what she could only assume were fruits and vegetables. She tilted her head to the side as he took off his cap, continuing, "Am I gonna have to remind you to call me Evie for the entirety of the time we know each other?"

A sigh escaped his mouth as his eyes fell shut. "Sorry. Evie," he pulled off his cap before rubbing at his temple, "I'm partial to the formality considerin' you're doin' business with my boss."

Evie smiled, replying, "Well  _don't_  be. It's annoying." at this she paused, carrying her gaze back and forth between him and Ada, "Ollie, I don't believe you've met Ada yet. Ada Shelby."

She could see him visibly tense once she mentioned the Shelby name, but she only rolled her eyes, saying, "Oh please, don't look so worried. She's the nicer Shelby."

"When I want to be, yeah," Ada retorted. She opened her mouth to say more, but soon mumbled a curse at the pull to her arm, looking down at Karl disapprovingly. He wanted to go into the sweet shop just to the left of them, now practically begging, leaving Ada to rub at her forehead and look to Evie for help.

Thankfully, Evie shooed them on. "You can go on. I'll meet you inside." And with those few words, the mother and son disappeared into the shop, letting her turn her attention back on Ollie.

Adjusting her grip on Charlie, she asked, "What on earth are you doin' here?"

He lifted his shoulder, displaying the bag that looked ready to bust. "I stopped at the market a couple blocks back. Was gettin' things for my sister to cook with."

"You have a sister?"

"Yeah. We share a flat, but now I'm shoppin' on account that she's bedridden and can't work."

Evie's brows knitted together. "How long has she been sick?"

"For a few days now," he shrugged, but then paused, glancing down to the street before continuing, "The day she got sick was the same day Alfie told me you were leavin' for a bit."

Her gaze dropped at the mention of that day. It caused her to remember moments, making her ask, "It was, was it?"

"Yeah. Wasn't sure when you were comin' back so I didn't expect to run into ya here," Silence came between them, letting the ruckus of the street fill their ears. Then, he continued, " _Are_  you back?"

With a shake of her head, her eyes fell shut and she told him, "Oh- no, um. Ada and I, we just thought we'd come back to the city for an afternoon," she fell silent as he nodded, although as she adjusted Charlie in her grip once more, a thought began to continuously poke in her mind, not allowing her to stay silent for long, "Is he alright? If you don't mind my asking."

Ollie stood in thought, glancing down to his shoes before choosing to answer, "Truthfully, I can't say. He was never one for sharin' how 'e's doin' or answerin' the 'how are you's," he hesitated, adjusting the bag on his shoulder. But he soon let out a huff, continuing, "and he would quite literally shoot me in the head if he knew I told you this but- ..." his mouth opened, then closed, "what happened on Darby day, it stuck with 'im. It stuck with me too, really. We didn't hear a thing of ya for weeks after it. And even though it's been a few years now .. I dunno, it still pisses him off." a pause, then, "Alfie's always had an' offhand way of talkin' but it only got more so after Sam called 'im and told 'im everything. He was properly pissed when he came back. I 'adn't seen 'im like that in a while."

Evie rose her brow, looking down at the boy in her arms. "I could see that much when I left him standin' in the middle of the club."

With a sigh, he told her, "Alfie and I aren't best mates; not even close. I work for him to start, so we don't talk like friends do. I don't know much of him aside from what I need to know," he told her, "But I know he enjoys being in business with you," at this, he nodded his head curtly, "Frankly, so do I."

The smiled that tugged at her lips couldn't be helped. "You're very kind, Ollie," she paused, looking behind her to see Karl inside the store, pressing his face against the glass that separated him from the variety of sweets. Turning back to Ollie, she said, "If it assures you at all, I don't know when I'll be back, but I know it won't be too long. It's only been a handful of days and yet I already miss this place."

Ollie gave her a small smile of understanding, adjusting his bag of food once more.

"I should get back to Ada," she added, beginning to move closer to the sweet shop, "I'll let you go."

"Of course, yeah," he slipped his cap back on and with a nod, he bid her goodbye, "It was nice to see you again."

And then he left, disappearing into the crowd that began to build up along the street. A murmur against her chest brought her attention back down to Charlie, as she now noticed he was beginning to wake.

"You ready to go?"

She turned her gaze up to see Ada exiting the shop, Karl's little hand in her larger one and a small bag of sweets in the other. With a nod, the four of them walked back to where their car was parked with a Blinder not too far behind. Evie had almost forgotten Tommy insisted that one of his men accompany them at a fair distance, because a fair distance was exactly what he gave them up until they decided to leave. But once they reached the car, she thanked the man anyhow, letting him leave for his own car to go home to his family. Because like them, he had his own perils.

She only hoped that his weren't so heavy.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ: hi everyone. so after a long couple of weeks of going back and forth with this decision in my head, i've decided that i'll be rewriting evie's story.  
> a lot has changed as far as what i want this fic to include, be about, and where i want it to end up and i just haven't been getting there. the last two chapters have been closer to what i'm aiming for but the story as a whole isn't coming out how i want it to. i don't know why i didn't realize that sooner but i think i had to develop the way i write first in order to see that, because my style has changed a lot since i took a couple months off from writing for this story.  
> i wanted to be able to portray evie in a way where people could fall in love with her but i feel like i've failed at that to be honest.
> 
> this fic hasn't been getting that much feedback at all, so i don't know if i'll be posting the new version here. i'll have it up on fanfiction.net when i have enough done. BUT if there are people out there that want me to post the new version here, PLEASE let me know, otherwise i'll have no idea.
> 
> so yeah, this was a hard decision for me to make, but i'm doing it. i did finish another chapter before i decided to do this though and i couldn't just let it sit in my notes. i thought it was a nice soft chapter to pause on so i'm uploading it for you guys to have since this story will be on hold for a while. i might end up deleting this version from ao3 in a few weeks but it'll still be up on FF.net if there's anyone who still wants to read it after i upload the new version.
> 
> to anyone who's been following this story, thank you so much for sticking around with me and evie. hopefully with this new version (which I'm already working on) i'll be able to portray her in a better and more unique way. ev is very near and dear to my heart so my hope is that other people will fall in love with her and her story rather than just the person she falls for.
> 
> much love to all of you! here's one last chapter (:

If someone had come up to him and asked when the last time he had a nightmare was, he reckoned he wouldn't be able to figure out which one had been the last. Nightmares plagued him as often as normal, soothing dreams plagued everyone else, leaving him to expect to wake up in a sweat or gasp for breath when he finally broke free. It was why he avoided sleep so relentlessly, even if it was all he wanted at times, leaning over his paperwork, eyelids heavy and begging him to welcome the darkness. He didn't welcome it. For many days, he refused it until his body couldn't handle the refusal of what was natural. He gave in to stealing mere moments of rest, short enough to keep him from falling into the nightmares and continue doing what he needed to do when the sun rose.

It worked for the time Tommy had done it, making him think it was the way he would carry on until something changed, putting him back into the way things had been before. Until it wasn't. Evie broke this carefully kept pattern he'd established for himself when she came into his room, singing his nephew away into a sleep with words he assumed he'd never understand. She broke it again when he found her asleep in Charlie's room, planted in the chair like a faithful guardian that refused to leave him alone for one second. Ada eventually broke it too, with her questions and the care she had for her brother that said it wouldn't be ignored any longer, all bundled up in the faintly shown no-nonsense attitude of hers that began to fade over the years.

The buzzing of their suddenly undeniable presence pushed him out of his routines, deciding that enough was enough, making him move in a different way without a care for how uncomfortable he was. And he found himself submitting to it willingly. The night after they returned from the city he lingered near his son's door, enthralled by the familiar, foreign tune that came from Evie's mouth. What had become a lullaby used to soothe Karl's restlessness turned into a nightly occurrence at the five-year-old's request, one that she sang to both him and his little cousin, easing them into peaceful sleep. Tommy stood behind the door every time, feeling his mind ease and his lids become heavy like they once did when he would force himself to stay awake, but for an entirely different reason. He didn't sleep, but those moments of quiet filled by nothing but her voice were moments he cherished in some way, because they pushed him forward, through the work that brought dreaded memories back into his head.

Evie had caught him once as he lingered a little too far into the room he designed for his son, but she didn't say a word. She kept singing- even as she caught his gaze -and gave him a smile that said he could sit and listen if he wished. He didn't sit, but he listened, eyes locked on the son he wished he could soothe himself. He listened to the words her mother once sang to her, and when she neared the end of the tune he came to know well, he left with a sense of peace, riding off into the dark to light a fire who's warmth he welcomed gladly. He had slept against a tree that night, waking to the smoke of the fire that ended many hours ago and a horse named Dangerous that looked down to him with calm, dark eyes, waiting patiently to return to their home.

Tommy found a solution in her song, and it became his new routine to stand idly at the nursery door and listen. The little sleep he got became dreamless and quick, calming, no matter how long it lasted each time. And, despite the grief-induced stupor he had put himself into, he found himself relishing in it.

But as the days turned into weeks, and the rest of his family decided they would visit soon, his work began to demand more of him again. It demanded the amount of attention he gave before his wife was taken from him and because he couldn't refuse that, his few nights of dreamless sleep were no more.

With a heart becoming heavy again, he stopped lingering by his son's door. He stopped listening to the lullaby that was becoming a familiar, welcomed song to him. The time he spent resting and recovering- however little it may have been -was bombarded by the stack of papers that suddenly grew larger and thicker, and soon he was back to the heavy-lidded, draining state that had come prior to Evie and Ada's arrival. No longer was he in the dream of Gaelic lullabies, quiet rest, and sleeping faces of his kin.

Instead, he sat before the same flames, silently begging them to burn away the terrible memories as he did before anyone came. But they wouldn't. They didn't. He sat on the grass that had grown crisp and brittle from the cold, unmoving, with his arms clasped over his legs. The ice of his eyes bore into the heat of the fire, unmoving, even when his ears caught the sound of a car rolling up the gravel road to his home. He knew what day it was, what day had come, but he stayed planted like the trees around him, unmoving, because a part of him hoped he was dreaming. He hoped that somewhere along the way, he had fallen asleep to the tune that filled the halls of Arrow House .. but he didn't. Tommy was very much awake, and life was pushing him along in a much rougher, forceful manner than the buzzing that once plagued him. It made him stand, going against the protests in his head.

He remembered how the buzzing annoyed him so, how he wished he was rid of it, but now that it was replaced with something worse .. he assumed he'd give anything to go back to it.

He trailed over to the beloved black stallion that his wife once adored, scratching his fingers under his chin and fiddling with the long whiskers that tickled his fingers. Dangerous murmured against the bit in his mouth as Tommy's hand ran down his cheek, making a hint of a smile run across the owner's face. There was nothing in the world that could make him feel as he felt when he was around horses.

Giving at pat to the horse's neck, he muttered, "Here we fuckin' go, aye?"

. . .

 _Bright and early_ was the housekeeper's choice of words, and bright and early was indeed when they all rose. Karl was grumpy towards the early disruption of his sleep, flopping his limbs about in a fashion- and length -that nearly drove his mother mad. Evie was even grumpier, feeling her eyelids droop and muscles beg to go back to the bed they were content to relax in, wrapped in a multitude of blankets. She didn't sleep well, but she was forcing herself to stay awake, drinking cup after cup of coffee and tea because she couldn't afford to fall back into the pillows of her room, or anywhere in Tommy's house where she could sit down. She couldn't afford it, because a car engine roared down the bumpy lane, reminding her of exactly what day it was and who, exactly, was coming.

Polly, Michael, Arthur, John, none of them had visited the grand estate since she practically shouted at them all in the servant's quarters. The mother and son were more forgiving- if anything they understood and weren't bothered by her tone -but she expected at least one of the brothers to give thinly veiled complaints, attempting to make her feel guilty enough to apologize. A childish choice, really, but it was a regular occurrence she knew the Shelby brothers for; one that more than often failed, and left her to laugh.

So she trudged out of her temporary bedroom expectantly, waiting to hear their bellowing voices when the large doors creaked open downstairs. Only those voices were not the ones she was greeted with. Upon hearing Polly, she swiftly stepped into Charlie's room before she could pass it, scooping the dark-haired boy in her arms because she knew one similarly dark-haired woman would be glad to see him.

"Look who wanted to say hello before he went off to be fed," her interruption of the conversation between aunt and niece left the prior almost grinning, leaving them in a stolen moment of bliss amidst everything that surrounded them. It was a moment of bliss that distracted them from their duties and things that they weren't too keen to face, and they knew that without feeling an ounce of shame, because moments like it were hard to come by.

But then, as if life decided to push them out of it, Mary appeared as she always did to take the child away, and they danced around the reason for their gathering until Tommy's shoes stomped through the halls.

. . .

"He's linin' us up like a bunch o' schoolchildren. A bunch of kids ready to see Mr. Shelby in groups of two, doin' what he tells them to fuckin' do."

Family meetings were always together. She knew that just as well as any of them. She knew that it held importance to them, to discuss delicate matters with everyone present in one room. No secrets, no locked doors, no hiding away when family is all that's left. She knew it, and she knew it even better when Tommy's yells rang clear through the wooden doors, rattled the walls. So she huffed through her nose at his brother's choice of words, because she also knew why he chose them.

"John, there's a reason why he's acting the way he is," she told him.

Frustratedly, he muttered, "What fuckin' reason could he possibly have, Ev?"

"Because he's  _grieving_ , John. Do you honestly expect him to act the way he did before as if none of this happened?" she snapped at him, voice hushed, " _Yes_ , it's unfair that he orders you around like a couple of binmen, but yelling at him for it only makes him yell back." at this her hand extended out to the closed door of the drawing-room, "As you could hear."

Her words were blunt, leaving John to sit back in his chair silently, rubbing at the place on his temple he often picked at. She heard him yell back in response to his brother's outburst when they were both behind that large door, snapping at each other like dogs that refused to get along. When she was a child her father owned three dogs of similar nature. They had tempers, none of which could be dampened or tamed enough for them to live in the house with his daughter. So they were made guard dogs, snapping and growling at everything- especially each other -even after they grew old in age.

"She's right, John," the older brother gave him a limp shrug, defending the roughness of her response, "Lettin' the way he's grievin' get to us 'll jus' slow us down. N'we can't afford to do that. Not when Solomons and Sabini are gonna be at our necks, trottin' up the path like wolves to take our pubs."

Evie leaned back into her own chair, leaning her head against her palm. "Alfie Solomons isn't going to be 'trotting up the path', Arthur. Not when he's got other things on his list."

Ada glared down at her as she handed her a cup of tea. But what Evie had said were words she couldn't take back, not with Arthur.

He turned to her, asking, "An' 'ow do you know so much about Solomons, aye?"

She gestured her hand out. "I hear things."

"Oh, you hear things, huh?" his brow rose, "You mean you 'ear things with all those ears you got travelin' 'round London, that kind a' hearin' things?"

"You can call them spies all you want, Arthur, but that's not what they are,"

"You shouldn't 'ave people gettin' you information like that at all, love." Arthur placed his hands around the back of his brother's chair, gripping it, feeling the ease of the cool metal under his fingers. He had never approved of what Evie did behind the doors of her club. The men that came under her employment were first and foremost men who once took orders from her father, men that knew what went on in places like Camden Town and Birmingham, and involved themselves in illegal affairs just as much as any Blinder. They all came from the same hole and brought dangers with them; dangers that reminded Arthur of Epsom, which became ones he thought she should stay out of ever since that day.

She wondered if Darby Day hadn't happened, would he still disapprove of what she was doing. "If I want to keep my club safe, I have to be somewhat aware of who's around me, Arthur."

"S'not smart for you to be doin' that, Evie," his lips pressed together and he shook his head with a certainty, "When ya lived in Birmingham with Pol, it was alright. You were with us all the time. But now you're in London, you made somethin' for yaself. You took that club right from under Sabini's nose and made it real successful, respectable like. A bunch of Scots walkin' about London is already a spectacle, but makin' spies out of them will only put you in a bad place."

Letting out a breathy laugh, she said, "Oh, we're a spectacle, are we?"

Behind her, Ada fiddled with the empty saucers, clattering china against china.

Evie continued, "I'm not making spies out of them," but his hardened look only stayed in place. "I'm  _not_ ," she pressed, "Camden Town isn't even half an hour from Eden street. I hear about Alfie almost daily with as many people working for me as I have; Sabini as well."

John looked up from under his cap with a smirk. "When d'you start callin' 'im Alfie?"

With a glare, she managed to pull the pillow she leaned against from behind her, throwing it towards the younger brother's head. It hit him square in the face.

"I don' like it," Arthur muttered, shaking his head repeatedly, "I don't. It don't feel right."

"It doesn't matter if it doesn't feel right when it isn't your club," she quipped, sipping at her tea. Both of his siblings laughed, but she watched his face scrunch and his forehead fill with lines. Arthur only made such a face every so often, and she knew the root of his objection was because of his past experience with Alfie. So she set her cup down, continuing, "They're only lookin' out for me, Arthur."

He huffed, "That don't make it a good thing- ..."

Cups were suddenly placed loudly onto the platter. "For  _fuck's_  sake," frustrations were whispered out. Ada had had enough, striding over to her eldest brother, "Arthur, it's not your job to look after 'er and it never has been. She's runnin' that place with a quarter of the men we got and she's doing just  _fine_. Have a little faith that she can take care of herself- now shoo ..."

She ushered him away before he could utter a word in response, then shooed John out of his chair, making them both trudge further into the house with her where the servant's quarters would be.

Evie watched them leave, moving to stand herself, although before she could, a hand was placed on her shoulder. She craned her neck around quickly. "Polly," her greeting came out in a breath, as she was startled by the touch. She turned in her seat to face the older woman, "Where'd you appear from as if from thin air, hm?"

"Was making sure Finn could handle being with his nephews for longer than five seconds," she told her, walking around to where John once sat. Once she was reclined back into the intricate designs of the cushion, her hands folded in her lap, and it wasn't long before her eyes narrowed. "I heard Arthur mention Solomons when I passed 'im, what were you two talking about?"

Evie flopped her hands up lazily, eyes widening. "I told him that the man wouldn't be trotting up our path like Sabini because I keep an ear out."

But Polly scoffed. "You call your business with him 'keeping an ear out'?" she mused, "I'd love to know what you'd call a partnership."

"What, do you have a better word for it?"

Polly's brows rose sharply, much like they did when she disapproved of something. "Risky. That's my word."

Her thoughts immediately went to their conversation prior to the charity dinner. Polly had obliged to their deal, staying silent on the matter despite everything that suddenly stirred their lives into a whirlwind. Evie wouldn't have to look at her pleadingly anytime she risked, or even brushed against the risk of revealing what she was doing, because although she had to convince her to agree, Polly wasn't a telltale. She said nothing, kept her mouth tight as if it was sewn shut. Evie had a hunch it was more of a merciful chance given than an agreement achieved with a few words, because she could see that Polly still objected to her choices. That much was clear.

Her dark eyes poked at her, searching, thinking, perhaps judging.

"Has anything happened that I should know about?"

Evie pulled her hand away from her temple, a place on her face that was now reddened from being rubbed so much. With a shake of her head, she replied, "No. If anything has, it wasn't important enough for Joshua to give a ring and tell me."

Polly simply hummed.

The crackling of the fire near them filled Evie's ears, letting thoughts seep in of the club; how the last thing she could remember was that Duncan had broken an entire crate of whiskey over a mere bump of his shoulder, and she hadn't moved to deal with it at all before she left. Joshua hadn't telephoned her at all since they went their separate ways. In fact, she assumed he was avoiding the action in fear that one wrong word might send her marching back to work during the time she took off to rest.

But then the click of a cigarette case broke her away from her pondering, and Polly flicked a match to light the one she had plucked. "And Joshua, you trust him with that much?"

"I do. I trust him with most anything."

. . .

The door to the drawing-room opened and closed with a creak, followed by an echo of footsteps that bounced off the walls. Michael appeared with his hands stuffed in his coat pockets. "Evie, Tommy wants to talk to you."

. . .

Two knocks came against his door.

"Come."

Her hand twisted at the knob immediately, pushing the door open with ease.

"Michael told me you w- ..." her voice fell as she was presented with the sight before her. Documents were strewn about on the floor and around his desk, covering the mahogany piece like a blanket. A cigarette tray was littered with buds with smoke still rising from a few. It was as if a bomb exploded and none of them heard, yet Tommy stood away from it, crouched at the table directly in front of her with pen and paper. "What are you doing?"

He didn't miss a beat, answering, "I'm writing a note. What does it look like I'm doing?"

She blinked, jaw shifting as she swallowed back a retort. "I can see that. What are you writing a note  _for_ , Tom?"

His scribbling was loud against the polished top. "I'm writing a note," he began, plopping his pen onto the table underneath him before walking back to the clutter on his desk. He had thrown a handful of papers, she could tell, "because we're leaving."

"Wh- ..." her mouth fell into an 'o', falling silent as her head turned to follow his movements around the room. But then she found her voice again, "We?"

She walked further into the room, coming near his desk.

Tommy looked up from the papers he began to collect from the floor, nodding briefly, "Yeah," he answered her plainly, standing to his feet, "Me, Johnny, Charlie. You if you'd like. I told Mary to pack you a bag in case you said yes."

She watched as he strode back to his desk, folding her arms over her chest. "How long are you leaving if I need a packed bag in order to come?"

Without looking up from the papers he was eyeing, he asked, "Is that a yes?"

"No, it's a question."

He hummed in protest, shaking his head, "I don't have time for questions," he told her, letting the stack he had collected plop onto his already disarranged desk. "I just need an answer."

He was starting to give her the beginnings of a headache. So she bargained, "I'll give you an answer if you tell me why you want me to come."

And then Tommy looked over to her. She could see from his eyes that his mind was going back and forth. He stayed that way until his head dropped, and a sigh slipped from his mouth. She hadn't noticed he was balancing a cigarette between his fingers until he brought it to his lips, busying his empty hand by skimming through the mess of documents underneath him. "Because even though you made me promise to fuckin' take care of myself, you're the only one in this house who hasn't tried to make me talk," he paused in his explanation to take a drag, breath out the smoke, then pluck the note he had just written. His eyes met hers, and he said, "And I don't trust Johnny with Charlie."

The corner of her mouth quirked up before she could press her lips in a tight line. She knew Johnny was good with kids, often catching him play with John's little ones when they were in Birmingham. He would run with them in the yard, lift them up to pet the horses, sometimes kick a ball around with the kids on the street, but he had a bad habit of being distracted with everything else he had to do, so sometimes he lost one of them. John was in no place to get mad, seeing as he didn't know where his own kids were half the time, but Polly did, and she nearly wrung Johnny's neck when it took them an hour to find Katie; John's third child.

Polly had a similar reaction to the times Evie would leave without warning. They were always harmless of course, her trips, whether she went off to the Garrison with John or on her own, went to the pictures with Ada without saying a word or found a new place under the bridge. But Polly would have none of it. If it was unannounced to her, Evie might as well prepare herself for a speech when she returned. She couldn't blame her for it, though. Her father put her in Polly's care, entrusted her with his eldest because his wife was once close to her, and he didn't have anyone else to turn to. And Polly took it seriously. Perhaps a little  _too_  seriously for Evie's liking, but again, she couldn't blame her for it.

Nowadays, Polly still absentmindedly clung to this, feeling responsible even if Evie lived in an entirely different city, and was well past old enough to be responsible for her own well being.

"Tommy if I go with the three of you to-..." her hand flew up at her side, "wherever it is you won't tell me you're goin', you know I'm only going to get an earful when we come back."

His brow rose, and he said, "It's better than stayin' here and getting an earful when you go into the kitchen and they find out I'm not here." Tommy strode across the room, coming to stand at the door where she had once been. He held his hands out in silent question.

Evie hated being asked to make a decision right away. Something in her mind never clicked with such a rush, having to choose between two options that almost always balanced out in some way. They were never black and white to her, which made it hard, made her frustrated, and was the reason why Joshua was the one that made most decisions that didn't require her and only her to be the one to say yes or no. Her mother always scolded her for it when she was younger, telling her time and time again that if she wanted to run a business of her own someday, that she would have to make hasty decisions whether she liked it or not. Evie wasn't even considering the thought of running a business at the time. All she wanted to do was be around the horses at her grandfather's estate, riding after breakfast and before dinner every day.

But she no longer lived in a time where she could spend her days with horses. Yes, she would receive a choice of words when she returned, but she knew if she stayed, it wouldn't be just Polly breathing down her back.

With a frustrated huff, she threw her gaze up to the ceiling. "Alright," she gave in, walking through the door once he pulled it open. "Just let me get my coat an' I'll grab Charlie."

The door shut with a quiet click.

"Johnny's already got 'im in the carriage."

Evie twirled around sharply, just narrowly avoiding bumping into his broader frame. With knitted brows, she said, "You  _just_  told me you didn't trust Charlie with him."

Tommy shrugged on his coat gruffly, plucking his cap from the right pocket. "Yeah, if he's alone with 'im for more than an hour, not when he's only carryin' him- ..." at this he waved his hand forward, ushering her to go without actually pushing her along, as he knew it was one of her pet peeves (courtesy of her little brother pushing her around as a child), "Now go. Find your coat and come out to the stables when you got it."

She was shooed along in the same manner that Ada shooed away her brothers.


End file.
